The Ever Changing Sea
by nikipinz
Summary: Post-War - Katara is ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe. When an old friend comes to ask for help, she finds herself thrown into a web of intrigue and danger. Katoph, mild Maiko.
1. Memories

The sea was always changing.

Katara sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean, her arms around her knees. The wind whipped through her long, dark hair and rippled the sleeves of her gown against her arms. She could smell the salt in the air; the warm glow of the evening sun cast her skin in shades of bronze. She smiled a little, her eyes on the waves far below.

Today, the sea was a bit rough. The orange glow of the sunset stained the whitecaps a soft shade of peach, contrasting with the deep blue-green of the water. Katara's eye followed the waves inland, to where the water grew shallow. There, the water was a delicate green color. _Green, _she thought sadly. _Green, like her eyes…_ She shook herself suddenly. _Stop it, Katara! You can't keep doing this to yourself! _Her blue eyes dulled. The spell of the evening was broken. With a sigh, she slowly rose to her feet and headed back to the palace.

It had been a long time since the Hundred Year War had ended. The great Battle of Sozin's Comet had taken place seven years before. Thousands had died in that epic clash of nations. Waterbenders, earthbenders and even the few remaining airbenders had joined together to take down the warlike Fire Nation. Katara herself had fought in the front lines – she and her friends.

_Her friends. _The thought made her sigh deeply. How quickly their little group had dispersed after the end of that battle! Aang, the Avatar, had been killed in his battle with Fire Lord Azula, the master firebender who had taken the throne out from under her father only weeks before the battle. (Katara was still trying to find him again, as the Avatar spirit would have reincarnated – but so far, no seven-year-old Avatar had turned up.) Zuko, of course, had remained to help rebuild the Fire Nation. She, Katara, had remained as well, to heal the wounded. After that, she had simply stayed because she was needed as a representative of the Water Tribes. Her brother, Sokka, had taken his fiancée, Suki, back home to the south pole. And then there was Toph.

Toph Bei Fong, the greatest earthbender in the world. Katara's blue eyes softened. The girl had been only thirteen years old when the battle had raged, but she had been one of the most potent forces on that battlefield. Over nine hundred Fire Nation soldiers had fallen to the tiny blind girl alone! Then the Dai Lee had reached her. Katara had screamed her name, but she couldn't get to her in time. By the time she reached the child, Toph had been lying facedown on the ground, covered with blood.

Katara remembered lifting the little earthbender into her arms and staggering off the battlefield with her. Tears had streamed down her face as she laid Toph on the ground and began to try to heal her.

It had been days before she was certain that Toph would live. During that time, her feelings for the blind girl had grown immeasurably stronger.

The waterbender sighed deeply, bowing her head. She knew that these feelings were…well, not _wrong, _exactly. (She couldn't bring herself to call such loving and caring emotions wrong!) But she knew they weren't things that could be acted upon. She could never take Toph into her arms and press her lips against hers. She could never whisper the words that she wanted to into Toph's sensitive ears – _I love you._

It just wasn't done.

Toph had gone as soon as she had healed enough. She had led the Earth Kingdom resistance movement against the remaining pockets of Fire Nation power, and had won. Now she was the general of the Earth Kingdom's army – despite her youth. Katara looked down at her own feet. How old would she be now? – Nineteen? No, nearly twenty. A smile twitched her lips. She wondered what a twenty-year-old Toph Bei Fong would look like.

Katara raised her eyes to look at the palace as she entered it. She lived there now, performing her duties as an ambassador. How many changes had come over the years! Zuko had married a year and a half after the end of the war; his bride, Lady Mai Tsang, had since had a little daughter. Zuko had named her Zulie. She was a bright-eyed, beautiful child – she looked very much like her aunt Azula, but (thankfully) without the ugly streak of sadism that had warped the woman.

The Water Tribe woman's eyes darkened. She remembered how Azula had been dragged in chains into Zuko's court on the day of her trial. The former princess had shrieked at her brother to execute her, but he had calmly banished her from the Fire Nation, and ordered her ability to firebend removed. In a final twist of irony, it had been Ty Lee, Azula's former friend, who had carried out the second part of that sentence. Azula had vanished, and no one had heard from her since.

She had reached her quarters. Katara moved inside and sat on the bed, her thoughts drifting back to Toph. _How beautiful the child was. _She remembered Toph's strong limbs, her delicate face, her jet-black hair, and her blind eyes – light green and milky, like two pearls. She remembered, too, the crooked smile that would light up the little girl's face when she laughed.

A soft knock roused Katara from her reverie. She looked up with a sigh. "Come." The door opened, and a round face with bright eyes peered inside. "Yes?"

"Hey." The woman stepped inside. "Sorry to bother you, ambassador, but Fire Lord Zuko said you'd want to know. There's an Earth Kingdom envoy here."

"Oh?" Katara raised a brow. "Is there going to be a meeting I need to be at?"

"No." The servant shook her head. "An old friend of yours is with them. An earthbender girl."

Katara's eyes grew a touch wider. She felt the bottom drop out of her stomach – she could hardly breathe for a few moments. _Toph! Toph was coming here? _She struggled to master the surge of emotions that was battering her. "Do you mean Toph Bei Fong?" she asked then, her voice slightly strangled.

"Yes! That's the name." The round-faced woman nodded. Katara dismissed her with a wave.

_Toph Bei Fong. Is coming. Here. _Katara didn't know what to think. _Wait. Did she say she was HERE ALREADY??_ Without stopping to think, Katara leaped to her feet and sped from her quarters.

When she reached the front gate of the palace, Katara stopped. There _was_ an envoy there, being greeted by Fire Lord Zuko and his wife, Mai. They were mostly soldiers, dressed in the distinctive green armor of the Earth Kingdom. Katara hesitated. She couldn't see Toph – but maybe that was for the best. _And what am I doing, anyway? Running out here like a lovesick puppy! Toph's probably married by now._ Straightening her skirt self-consciously, Katara drew herself up and slowly made her way down the steps.

Then the tall soldier talking to Zuko turned to greet Mai, and Katara's heart leaped into her throat. _It was her!_

Toph had grown. How she had _grown! _When last they had parted, the earthbender's head had only come up to Katara's chin. Now she was at least six feet tall – more, Katara estimated, given that she looked a few inches taller than Zuko. The armor she wore left her lower legs and upper arms bare; the waterbender could see the knotted cords of muscle in her limbs. She was still lean, but there were definite curves to her muscular body. Katara's eyes moved up to Toph's face. It was longer than it had been, and leaner. Her hair had been cut short, and fell in a shaggy mass around her ears and face. Her lips were still seashell pink, and her eyes…oh, her eyes! Katara's knees felt weak. Those huge, minty-green eyes were every bit as beautiful as she remembered.

At that moment, Toph's head suddenly jerked around, and her blind eyes looked in Katara's direction. Slowly, trying not to show how weak her knees felt, Katara made her way down the rest of the steps. Zuko caught sight of her. "Ambassador Katara!" he said. "You remember Katara, General Bei Fong?"

"I remember." Toph's voice sent thrills down Katara's spine. It was deeper than it once had been, but she remembered it – she remembered it! Toph turned to face Katara, her face breaking into a wide grin. (That same crooked grin!) "Hello, Katara."

"T…Toph Bei Fong," The ambassador dearly hoped her voice wouldn't squeak. "Welcome. What brings you to the Fire Nation?"

"Business." The blind girl's brows lowered. "We've had increased insurgent attacks in the northern Earth Kingdom area lately. We're hoping the Fire Nation can offer us some help." She paused. A hint of her smile came back. "And I'm sure I can find time to talk to old friends, too." She turned her face back to Zuko.

The Fire Lord smiled and waved his hand to his servants. "Get our guests settled in their quarters," he ordered. Then, as they obeyed, "Katara, Toph – you're both invited to dinner with my wife and I tonight."

"It would be an honor, Fire Lord," Toph smiled. Then she leaned toward him a little, speaking low enough that only he, Mai and Katara caught her next words. "Besides, I haven't kicked your ass in a while, Sparky!" Zuko laughed, Katara clapped a hand over her mouth, and Mai raised an elegant eyebrow as a smile twitched her lips.

That was Toph, all right. Katara's eyes followed the tall young woman as she went into the palace. She hoped that she wasn't blushing, although the warmth of her cheeks told her otherwise. _Toph…_

_What is wrong with me? _Katara shook herself suddenly. If she was going to have dinner with the Fire Lord and his wife, she needed to get ready.

She went through the motions of dressing mechanically. Her vanity beckoned; she sat down before it and began to do her hair. _Toph…is here. _She wasn't certain what she felt. Happy, yes – even exhilarated! But there was also an icy lump of dread in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't sure if she was afraid that something would happen between them, or if she was afraid that nothing would.

_Oh, what am I saying? Nothing can happen! _She closed her eyes. _I will not jeopardize everything Toph has worked so hard to build just for my little schoolgirl crush. She's an army general, for Agni's sake – and I have peacekeeping duties, too. There are bigger things than either of us._

There was a knock on her bedroom door. Katara sighed, twisting a coil of hair up and slipping a sapphire bead over it. "Who is it?"

"A friend." The voice held amusement.

The waterbender's breath caught in her throat. _Toph!_ For a moment or two, she was unable to form words. With a determined effort, she cleared her throat and forced her tongue to obey her. "Come in."

She did so, closing the door behind her. With a deep breath, Katara turned to face her. _Agni - ! _The woman was magnificent. The flickering light of the wall sconces played over the rippled muscles of her arms. After a moment's pause, Toph smiled, her head on one side. "Hey, Sugar Queen."

"Toph!" Almost without thinking, Katara rose from her seat and threw her arms around the warrior. The smooth plate of armor was cold against her cheek. "Oh Toph, it's so _good_ to see you again!"

The earthbender chuckled, and her arms moved to engulf the smaller woman. Metal rasped as she did so. "Katara, it's great to be here." She laughed a little. "Ugh, I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this formality thing. It's all 'Fire Lord Zuko' and 'Fire Lady Mai' and 'Ambassador Katara.' Spirits! What happened to Sparky and Sweetness?"

Katara couldn't help laughing. "You're still the same disheveled, irreverent little tomboy on the inside, aren't you?" she said, pulling away.

"Of course. Who else would I be?" Toph favored her with her wide grin. "And look at _you, _Sugar Queen! You're even more the elegant lady now. I wouldn't have thought it was possible!" She put a hand on her chin and pretended to look Katara up and down with her blind eyes. "But I coulda sworn you used to be taller."

"Oh, you!" Katara smacked her on the arm and laughed again as she turned away, hoping that Toph couldn't sense the red flush rising in her cheeks. She sat down and resumed slipping beads into her hair. "Are you going to the dinner in that, Toph?" she asked, twisting a strand of hair and putting it up.

Drawing herself up, the earthbender struck a clenched fist against her breastplate. "Sure, Sweetness. I'm a general, you know! I can get away with stuff like that." She shrugged. "Besides, this is my dress armor. The regular stuff's all beat up."

This gave Katara pause. "You mentioned new insurgencies," she said, tucking one last strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, I did." Toph's voice was grim. "It's actually getting pretty bad, Katara. We almost lost Omashu to them last month. They're getting smarter, and their strategizing is getting better – a _lot_ better." She sighed through her nose. "It's not just firebenders anymore, either. There's a lot of earthbenders, even a waterbender or two. Ambushes, kidnappings, terrorist attacks, all-out sieges. It's getting worse."

Katara's eyes widened in shock and horror. "Oh, Toph, how awful!" she breathed. "We'd heard there were some problems, but nothing like that!"

"That's why we're here. When Zuko comes to the Earth Kingdom next month, we're going to be formally asking him for help, but we wanted to prepare him for it ahead of time." Toph paused, turning her sightless eyes in Katara's direction. "I came along," she said slowly, "because I wanted to ask you personally, Katara. Will you come?"

"Me?" The waterbender paused. Toph had used her real name, instead of one of her nicknames. She was serious. "Toph, why…"

"Because you're the greatest waterbending master I know," Toph said calmly. "You might even be the best in the world. We've got waterbenders in our ranks now, and I need someone to train them. Who better than you?" She paused again. "Please, Katara. We need you."

The Water Tribe woman's hands were shaking. "I…I don't know, Toph. I mean, I have responsibilities here…"

"I've already been talking to your brother about that," Toph admitted. "Sokka wrote me and told me he's willing to step into your shoes if you decide to come. Suki won't mind, she's tired of the snow anyway!" Silence. "I know it's a lot to ask. I wouldn't do it if I could think of anyone else."

It was a lot to take in. Katara bit her lips. "I…I'll think about it, Toph."

"Okay." The general laid her hand on Katara's shoulder. "I'll see you at dinner, Sugar Queen." The waterbender nodded quietly, and Toph let herself out.

Katara stared into her mirror, but her eyes were unseeing. _I haven't fought in years. I had hoped it was over… _Memories of the Battle of Sozin's Comet washed over her. She had plunged ice daggers into yielding flesh, sent shards of ice ripping through the enemy ranks. She had seen the bloody aftermath of what she had done, and watched her friends fall. And she had spent months in the infirmaries afterwards, healing, trying to save both friend and foe. Shuddering, Katara lowered her head into her hands. _And now, Toph's asking me to do it all again. Because she needs me. Because _they _need me._

Another deep shudder rippled over her. _I don't have a choice._


	2. Decision

_Katara stood on the battlefield, staring out over the hills. It was a rare moment alone, since she had spent nearly every waking moment since the battle in healing the wounded and comforting the dying. The discarded husks of Fire Nation war machines still dotted the charred and broken landscape, some of them still smoldering. She gazed at them. She felt like a burning shell of what she once was, herself._

_Someone touched her arm gently; she looked up to find Suki standing beside her. "Hey," the Kyoshi warrior said softly. Katara returned the greeting numbly, and they both stood looking at the field for a while_

"_At least it's over," Katara said after a while, her voice hollow. "It's over…"_

_Suki's eyes were dark. "I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "I just have this awful feeling that this is only the beginning…"_

"Katara?" The waterbender looked up, startled from her thoughts.

She was standing on the balcony of her quarters, her arms resting on the railing as she looked out over the capital city of the Fire Nation. The sun had set long ago; it was nearly midnight. All that was visible were the flickering torches that lit up the blackened streets.

Toph slowly moved out onto the balcony. She had taken off her armor, and now stood in a short green robe that came to her knees, and light-colored pants that stopped above her ankles. Her feet, as always, were bare. She paused. "Can we talk, or would you rather be alone, Sugar Queen?"

The waterbender smiled. "No. I'm fine. We can talk."

Still more slowly, Toph approached her. "I noticed you were really quiet at dinner," she said. "Are you all right, Sweetness?"

"I guess." Katara lightly lifted her body up and onto the railing, facing Toph and swinging her legs like she used to as a child. "Toph, do you ever get tired of it? – The fighting, I mean. The killing."

"Fighting? Never. Killing? Hell, yeah." The general joined her on the railing, sitting easily on the narrow band of stone. Katara couldn't help but notice how she had to twist her head upward to look at her. "I think I was born fighting. But the killing…yeah, it's gone way too long." The earthbender sighed. "We don't have a choice, you know."

Even here, in the relative peace of the Fire Nation, Katara knew that was true. As long as there were people trying to reinstate the reign of the Sozin clan, it would remain true. (Strange that Zuko _was _a descendent of Sozin!) "I know," she said softly. There was a pause. "Toph, is it different for you? I mean, you're a warrior. You've always been a fighter. It seems to come naturally to you. But to me…I can fight. I can kill, if I have to! But it's…it's…" She shivered, resting her head against the cool marble of the wall beside her. "It's horrible."

Toph didn't look at her. Those clouded green eyes were staring aimlessly upward. "You know," she said, "the Battle of Sozin's Comet was where I first killed in battle." She stopped. Her sensitive mouth worked a little. "I still remember it. I was standing there, and he was coming at me – a Fire Nation soldier, probably less than twenty years old. When I went to earthbend him, I knew I was bending to kill. It wasn't just to throw him off-balance so we could jump on Appa and run away." She absently broke a chunk off the railing beside her and levitated it off the palm of her hand. "I brought two waves of rock up on him, and crushed him like an eggshell. I _felt_ him die, Katara." The powerful fist closed on the chunk of marble, crumbling it effortlessly to dust. She sighed. "I still have nightmares about it sometimes."

"I still remember mine, too. And the second, and the third…all of them." Katara sighed deeply.

There was a long pause. "So," Toph said, her voice unusually gentle, "are you coming, Katara?"

The waterbender sighed again, pulling away from the wall. She could feel tears in her eyes. "Yes, Toph. If you need me, I'll come."

"I knew you would." Was there suddenly a different note in the earthbender's voice? Katara slowly turned her head to look at her old friend. Toph's pale green eyes were on her, and a soft smile was playing about the corners of her lips. The waterbender felt her breathing quicken. "Katara," the general said softly. There was tenderness in the tone of her voice. "Katara…"

Fear welled up in Katara's throat. Abruptly, the waterbender jumped off the railing onto the balcony. "Well, since that's decided," she said quickly, "we should probably get some sleep. I'm sure we both have things to do in the morning." She pointedly didn't look at her friend's face.

"Yes." The word was flat. "Yes, I suppose we do." The earthbender rose to her feet, mending the broken railing with a tap. Katara stood rigidly, waiting. "Good night, Sugar Queen," Toph said quietly. Her footsteps retreated inside the palace. Wrapping her arms around herself, Katara stared out into the night.


	3. Pai Sho

The mighty ship plowed through the waves, sending up a mist of spray with each one that dashed itself against its prow. Alone near the figurehead, Katara exulted in the power of the ocean beneath her. As skilled a waterbender as she was, she was still awed by the graceful power of the sea. She breathed deeply.

Unsteady footsteps approached from behind. Turning, she found Toph making her way up the deck, clutching at the railing. "Katara?" the general said, turning her head to one side. "Are you up here?"

Compassion flooded Katara's breast. She knew how Toph hated ships – how even metal ships interfered with the earthbending that gave the blind eyes their version of sight. "I'm here, Toph!" she said, stepping down from her perch and approaching the woman. "I'm here," she said again, touching one of the woman's arms.

"Good." Toph scowled, never loosening her white-knuckled grip on the railing. "I never _will_ understand you crazy waterbenders. How can you _like _this stuff? It's cold and…and _wet_, and it doesn't carry vibrations at _all!" _

Despite the earthbender's obvious discomfort, Katara couldn't help laughing a little. "It's not that horrible, General Bei Fong," she said. "Besides, we're due to land in a couple of hours anyway. Here, why don't we go to my cabin and play a little Pai Sho?"

Toph looked at her with her blind eyes. Katara found herself wondering how they _could_ be blind eyes, when they seemed to see everything! "Well, maybe." A smile played about her lips. "I guess kicking your ass at board games would make me feel better about things. Huh, Sweetness?"

Katara couldn't help laughing as she looped her arm gently around the earthbender's toned one. "Come on, Toph. Let's go."

The earthbender was right about her prowess at Pai Sho. Katara wasn't horrible at the game – she had played against Fire Lord Zuko's uncle Iroh a number of times – but Toph was nothing short of brilliant. When the blind woman triumphantly won the fifth game, Katara pushed back from the table, her lips twisting in a half-smile, half-pout. "When did you become a Pai Sho champion?" she demanded. "I thought you limited yourself to earthbending competition titles!"

Laughing, Toph shrugged and tossed the white lotus tile – which she had just used to dismantle Katara's defenses – back onto the board. "I'm general of an army, Sugar Queen. I have to have some kind of strategic skills."

There was a pause. The silence in the room grew heavy. Katara gazed pointedly at the gameboard between them. She wanted to look up, to admire how the light played across the other woman's sharp jawline, her powerful arms, and her deep, sightless eyes. The waterbender felt her face burning. _This is ridiculous, Katara! Just stop it. _She laughed, a nervous titter to break her own tension. "Well, we should be docking soon, Toph. Why don't we go up and see how close to land we are?"

"Yeah. Let's go and "see" that." Toph waved a hand in front of her own face, deadpan.

Katara sighed, narrowly avoiding an eye-roll. She'd almost forgotten how sensitive Toph was about her blindness. "That's not what I meant, Toph Bei Fong, and you know it!"

"Do I, now?" The general rose to her feet with an enigmatic smile. "Yeah, I suppose that I do, Sweetness. I'll let it go this time." She caught Katara's arm in one hand and pulled her toward her. Katara froze, breathless, as the earthbender's mouth moved close to her ear. She could feel the warmth of the other woman on her skin. Her own breath hitched in her throat. "Next time, though," Toph said, her voice low, "I might have to get mad." She chuckled and let go of the waterbender's arm. Stunned, Katara only stared at Toph as the general made her unsteady way from the cabin.


	4. Old Friends

Fire Lady Mai closed the door to her bedroom, moved over to the suitcase on her bed, and opened it. With brisk efficiency, she began to unpack her belongings.

There were servants for this sort of thing. Mai knew this. She had no compunctions about allowing servants – or slaves, for that matter – to do things for her! But she was particular about her clothing. She was also especially particular about her weaponry. The servants at the Fire Nation palace knew what to touch and what not to, but these Earth Kingdom people (she turned up her nose) did not. And she, Mai, did _not_ want dirty fingerprints on the blades of her treasured kunai knives.

She had married Prince Zuko shortly after the Battle of Sozin's Comet. A few months later, Zuko had been crowned Fire Lord, and she had knelt beside him to receive the title of Fire Lady. It had been quite the change, considering that she had spent the six months prior to the battle sitting in a Fire Nation prison cell for treason. That had _not_ been a pleasant time in her life. But she sometimes wondered if her subsequent happiness hadn't made it all worth it. She glanced over at the second suitcase on the bed and smiled. After all, she'd gained the husband of her dreams!

She laid her clothes out in the dresser provided, and closed it. Her spare kimono robes went in the closet, hung precisely two inches apart, all facing the same way. Lastly, her spare weapons were spread out carefully amongst the clothes in her dresser, tucked away in sleeves and hemlines. She always knew exactly where they were.

"Still the same old Mai," a voice murmured from behind her. "All hidden blades and precision!" Mai spun around, two of her razor-sharp kunai in her right fist.

A young woman stood by her bed. She was dressed in Earth Kingdom clothing, with the hood of a large, dark green cloak pulled over her head and face. As Mai watched, wide-eyed, the young woman reached up and pulled the hood down around her shoulders, baring a long, pale face with gleaming golden eyes and red lips. Mai felt her own face draining of blood. "Azula!" she whispered, her lips barely able to form the word.

"Fire Lady Mai." The former princess bowed gracefully in the proper Fire Nation way, her clenched fist up against the palm of her other hand. "It's been a long time."

"What are you _doing_ here?" Mai had finally recovered her voice. She glanced nervously at the bell that would summon the guards.

Azula saw the glance and immediately understood its meaning. She held her hands up over her head. "I'm not armed, Mai. I'm not here to hurt anyone, I promise. I'm just here to see an old friend."

Mai's elegant, dark brows drew together in a frown, and her silver eyes began to flash with lightning. The hand holding her weapons twitched. "Azula, you were banished from the Fire Nation for war crimes and high treason. Suddenly you appear without warning in the bedroom of the Fire Lady. Now, I know you. Just why in the hell would I believe what you just said to me?"

The former princess looked sober. She didn't move her hands. "I can't bend, Mai, and I'm unarmed. Are you really going to murder me while I'm helpless?"

"I've known you long enough to know that you don't need blades _or _fire to be dangerous, Azula." Mai's voice was low.

"Fair enough." Azula sighed and looked away. "I guess this was a mistake."

"Excuse me?"

"Coming to see you, I mean." Mai stared at her in growing disbelief. There were tones in the young woman's voice and looks on her face that she had never, ever seen in Azula before. Azula sighed again. "Well, I had to try. Go ahead and call your guards, Mai. I'll go quietly."

Mai didn't move. Neither did Azula. There was silence for a while. "What are you doing here?" Mai asked again, her grip on her throwing knives loosening a fraction.

"I told you. I wanted to see you." The former princess looked at her. "I've been exiled for nearly seven years, Mai. I…well, I miss home. I miss people." She paused. "Can I put my arms down, or would you rather search me for weapons?"

"Put them down." The Fire Lady's eyes were narrow. Azula slowly lowered her hands to her sides. "Azula, you've never cared about home or people in all your life."

"No." The young woman shook her head, looking down. "I never did, did I, Mai?" She managed a wan smile, holding out her arms. "And now look at me!" Mai didn't smile. Azula sighed, dropping her hands again. "Listen," she said softly, "things have…well, they've changed. I admit, I spent the first year of my exile marching around and trying to drum up an army and things, but…" She stopped at the expression on Mai's face. "You know what? Never mind. Just have them take me away. I'm wasting your time."

Coldly, Mai took two steps and stood under the bell, Her silver eyes never left her uninvited guest. "So you just came to chat and have a cup of tea."

Azula smiled nervously. Mai had never seen her nervous a day in her life. "Well…actually, yes." She looked down at her hands, twisting them together. "I just wanted to talk to someone I knew, Mai. It's been a long time."

"What makes you think I want to?" the Fire Lady snapped.

There was more of Azula in the smile the former princess wore then, a certain knowingness. "Because I knew you well," she said simply. "You might have betrayed me and chosen my brother over me – and rightfully so! – but you didn't do it because of patriotism or because you hated me. You told me yourself that you did it because you loved Zuko more than you feared me." She paused. "Admit it, Mai. You've missed me."

Now _that_ sounded more like the old Azula. Oddly enough, it made Mai feel a little better. She'd begun to wonder if this wasn't some sick joke by the spirit world, dropping some perfectly sane and sweet doppelganger of the Fire Princess into her room, just to watch Mai twist in the wind. "Azula, I'm not going to sit here and drink tea with a dangerous enemy of the state."

Exasperated, she threw up her hands. "Okay, look. If you don't want to talk to me, fine. Tell me to get out, and I'll leave. Or call your guards and have me locked up." Mai said nothing. "Then can we talk?"

"Talk away." Mai's lips were tight.

The former princess sighed. "I've been…living on farms, the past few years. I find I'm not recognized as quickly in the country. I earn my keep that way." She held out her palms in Mai's direction. The Fire Lady could see the calluses across her fingertips and the heels of her hands. "I've also been talking to people – people I never would have talked to, would never even have met if I'd stayed in the Fire Nation. They've taught me a lot, Mai." She smiled hopelessly. "I just want to talk to you. Will you come and see me somewhere?"

Mai hesitated. She couldn't help but think that this wasn't a good idea, but Azula _did_ seem different. She chewed her lip. While Azula was undeniably dangerous, she was also undeniably fascinating. She could feel the young woman's charisma even now. _If she isn't different, it would be best to find out what she's up to, anyway. _She breathed deeply. "All right. When and where?"

"Tonight. I'll be in a restaurant called The Dancing Bear in the outer ring of Ba Sing Sei after sundown." Azula shot her a pleading look. You'll come?"

"I'll come," Mai said, settling the matter in her mind. "But don't let yourself be spotted, Azula. They know who you are in Ba Sing Sei."

The young woman smiled and shrugged. "I've gotten used to hiding by now, Mai. Give me some credit!" She glanced at the window. "Are you going to let me go, then? Because I really should slip out before anyone decides to come and see what's taking you so long with the unpacking, Fire Lady."

The hooded silver eyes of the Fire Lady flicked to the window, then back to Azula's golden ones. "Go," she said, her voice deadly calm. "But don't expect me to protect you if you're caught, Azula."

Azula smiled – nearly laughed. "You won't have to concern yourself about that, Fire Lady Mai." She bowed again. "May you live long and burn brightly." In another moment, she was out the window. Mai moved quickly to it, but there was no sign of the former princess when she looked out. Azula was gone.

With a deep sigh, Mai closed the window, latched it, and moved back to the bed. Her hands were steady as she closed the suitcase and put it away. _I have just agreed to meet with the most dangerous enemy the Fire Nation has. _She thought back to the days when she and her friend Ty Lee had served Princess Azula. The princess had always been the same – ruthless, cruel, sadistic and calculating. Was it even possible that a few years of farming could even make a dent in the young woman?

There was a knock at the door, and a servant poked his head in. "Fire Lady Mai, you've been up here a long while. Is there anything we can help you with?"

Mai looked back at the unassuming window. Her eyes were grave. "No," she said. "I'm fine."


	5. Ba Sing Se

They had reached the city of Ba Sing Se.

Katara hadn't been back to the city since she and her friends had left it over seven years before. That had been when Princess Azula had taken it for the Fire Nation, using her own brand of subterfuge, twisted politicking and manipulation to make the city fall, all without striking one literal blow. Katara had to admit that Azula had shown some kind of twisted brilliance in how she had operated.

Ba Sing Se, however, had been returned to the Earth Kingdom after the Battle of Sozin's Comet. Now it was a huge, wealthy city, bustling with traders and merchants, very unlike the fascist paradise it had been when Katara had last visited. After making sure that Fire Lord Zuko and his wife were settled in their new quarters, she and Toph had left.

Toph strode easily through the streets of the city, her shoulders relaxed. This was her home now, and she was obviously glad to be there. Katara watched her, amused; if the general had had pockets, she was sure Toph would have thrust her hands into them and started whistling. Now _that_ would have made the bowing and scraping commoners stare, even without the four silent bodyguards that followed them! "Glad to be home, General?"

"Oh, hell, yes!" Toph grinned in her direction. "No place like home, and all that. This place grows on you, Katara. You'll fall in love with it, I promise." She thumped her fist on the breastplate of her armor, a gesture Katara was beginning to understand meant confidence and braggadocio. "Me and the boys – this is _our_ town!"

Katara had to laugh at this. "You and the boys, Toph? You really haven't changed much."

The general's grin grew rather wicked. "Oh, I've learned a thing or two since I was twelve, Sugar Queen. I'll show you some of it – later. For now, I'll show you to your new quarters. You're to be introduced to the army this afternoon."

"That soon?" Katara's eyebrows raised. "We only got off the boat a few hours ago!"

Toph made a face, half-apologetically, and shrugged. "I know, Katara. But the insurgency has gotten pretty bad, and we need the troops' training to start as soon as possible. Orders of the Earth King." She tapped a tube on her belt with one finger. Katara nodded her understanding. She had heard that a messenger hawk had arrived for Toph that morning with new orders. "On the bright side," the blind woman said cheerfully, "you should have a present waiting for you in your rooms."

"Oh?" Katara raised an eyebrow. "What kind of a present?"

"You'll see. It might not be your type of thing, but you might like it." Toph chuckled to herself, enjoying some private joke. "Come on, this way."

Katara hesitated. "I thought the trams were the other direction?"

Toph laughed incredulously. "Trams? Are you kidding me, Sugar Queen? Don't they have assassins in the Fire Nation?" She gestured. "This way. There's an armed escort waiting for us."

"What – four bodyguards isn't enough?" Katara glanced back at their silent entourage with a slight frown.

"No. It isn't." Toph looked deadly serious. "Look, I know you can take care of yourself, Katara, but these insurgents are very dangerous. There's nothing they'd love more than to take out any prominent leader, and you're about to become just that. Besides," and here she grinned, "if I have to have them, you do, too! I'm not about to be miserable all by myself, thank you."

"Great." Katara sighed and rolled her eyes, but willingly followed her friend through the pressing crowds of Ba Sing Se. "I'd pity any assassins who tried to take _you_ down, Toph. You'd mop the floor with them."

The blind woman looked grave, shaking her head. "I'm not indestructible, Sweetness. I know that now. I've been in a few battles in my time." Katara, remembering the fateful battle that had ended the Hundred Year War, fell silent.

They rounded a corner, and Katara gasped. There was a detachment of at least fifty soldiers waiting there, all in full Earth Kingdom armor. A burly man caught sight of them and approached, saluting. "General Bei Fong!" he said, with a broad smile. "Welcome back to Ba Sing Se!"

"Thank you, Guiren," Toph said, returning the salute. "Guiren, this is Ambassador Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara, this is Guiren, my second-in-command."

The man turned to the waterbender saluted smartly. "Pleased to meet you, Ambassador Katara," he said. "We're heard so much about you, and how you helped the Avatar to end the war. We look forward to working with you!"

Katara blushed and smiled. "Thank you," she said softly. She was always embarrassed when people brought up her association with Aang. They made it sound like she was some hero in an epic poem, when really she had only done what she could to help the boy. "I look forward to helping you."

"Escort us to the ambassador's quarters, please, Guiren," Toph said. "We don't have a lot of time."

"At once, General." Guiren motioned. "Your carriage awaits!" Katara looked, and saw a coach being drawn by two ostrich-horses being led toward them. Without hesitation, Toph swung aboard, and Katara carefully stepped up after her. The convoy started up.

As the entourage moved through the streets of the city, Katara started to notice other changes from her former visit. Storefronts were either boarded up or protected with steel grates over the windows, and there were soldiers everywhere. She frowned and looked at Toph, who was seemingly deep in thought. "How bad has it been exactly, Toph?" she asked softly. "The army's everywhere."

"I know." The general looked grim. "Ba Sing Se is the capital city of the Earth Kingdom, so there've been a lot of attacks here. Firebenders, assassins, that kind of thing. The Earth King had to institute martial law, just to keep order. The terrorism was threatening to undermine the infrastructure of the whole city." She shrugged one shoulder with a half-smile. "Trade and whatnot is going on as usual, though. We're trying not to upset peoples' everyday lives."

"Oh, _Toph." _Katara's knuckles whitened. "Am I going to be briefed on everything, at least?"

"Of course." Toph nodded gravely. "You'll be filled in on everything tomorrow morning, after breakfast." She paused. "You're…you're not regretting that you came, are you, Katara?" she asked softly.

The waterbender shook her head, her lips setting in a grim line. "No, Toph. You told me there was fighting going on, and you told me I was needed. I'm not sorry I came. It's just…a bit hard to adjust to, that's all. The Fire Nation has had a few uprisings, but nothing like this…" She looked back out the window. "It's a war zone!"

"Pretty much." The earthbender sounded tired. "But it's better than the alternative." The two women fell silent as the carriage rumbled through the cobblestone streets.

Perhaps an hour later, the coach pulled up in front of a large estate. Toph sighed and swung out of the carriage. "Ahh, terra firma!" she said, digging her bare feet into the dust of the road. "Are you coming, Katara?"

Eyes wide, the Water Tribe woman slowly stepped into the street. "Toph, this is…what is this place?" Her gaze moved from the magnificent front doors to the lush gardens on either side.

Toph smiled self-consciously. "It's my estate," she admitted. "I've had them set up your quarters in the guest house. I thought you wouldn't mind."

"_Your _estate…" Katara stopped. "I'd forgotten. You're one of the richest women in the world, now."

"Yeah, so they tell me." The blind woman rubbed the back of her neck and shrugged uncomfortably. "That's one good thing Mom and Dad left me!" She gestured then, changing the subject. "It's this way, Katara. Come on. You can wash and change before you meet the boys."

The earthbender led Katara down a side road that led in behind the gigantic house. Another, smaller house was tucked into the gardens in the back. "Here it is!" Toph said, opening the door with a flourish. "Come on in. The place is yours." The two women stepped inside, followed by their ever-present bodyguards.

It was a cozy little house, neat and clean, with white walls and accents of blue. Katara felt at home at once. "Oh, Toph! It's perfect," she exclaimed, reaching up a hand to touch a tapestry on one wall. "It reminds me of home."

"It should," Toph grinned. "I had things sent here from the Southern Water Tribe. Figured you'd feel better if the place had a little familiarity." She beckoned. "Come on, your surprise is waiting in the sitting room." Katara followed.

"_Oh!" _The waterbender stopped, her hand moving to cover her mouth.

There was a suit of armor on a stand in the sitting room. It was made in the same style as the armor Toph was wearing, but it was much less bulky, and the usual Earth Kingdom greens mingled with Water Tribe blues. Toph turned her sightless eyes to Katara and shrugged. "You'll need protection," she said. "We took the liberty of providing some."

Never – never, in all of Katara's life – had she worn armor. Even in the last great battle, she had walked out to the battlefield in only her water tribe robes, depending entirely on her waterbending to protect her body. Slowly, Katara moved forward, and stretched out a hand to touch the breastplate. Her fingertips traced the whirls and grooves of the Water Tribe symbol that adorned it. "Toph, I…I don't know what to say."

"I know." The general sighed. "It's beautiful and functional, but it means war. Right?"

Wordlessly, Katara nodded. She didn't know what words to use.

"You're expected to wear it whenever you leave your residence from now on," Toph said quietly. It sounded as if she was quoting something; Katara suspected it was the orders of the Earth King. "It's for your own safety, and the morale of the troops." The earthbender grinned a little. "They like their sergeants to look the part."

Katara glanced at her sharply. "Sergeants?"

"Yep. You didn't think you'd be training the troops without some kind of a title, did you, Sugar Queen?" Toph laughed a little. "You'll probably be officially promoted tomorrow, when the Earth King briefs you. You'll be Sergeant Katara, Official Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe. How's that grab you?"

"Goodness. I'm going to need a servant to keep track of all my titles." Katara grinned impishly. "How long do I have to freshen up before that meet-the-troops thing?"

"About two hours. Should be long enough for you to make pretty." Toph swept her shaggy black hair out of her eyes carelessly, letting it fall back. "It's a good thing, being blind. Lots less to worry about with the appearance!"

Katara shivered deliciously at the brief sight of Toph's uncovered face. Whether the earthbender worried about her appearance or not, she, Katara, thought there was very little lacking! She shook herself, wondering how much Toph could read of what she was thinking. "Well, I'd better get started, then," she said hurriedly, turning away. "Thank you, Toph. I'll be ready."

"You got it, Sweetness." Toph headed out the door. "I'll be back for you in a couple hours!" she added over her shoulder.

Katara closed the door behind her, breathing deeply in relief.


	6. Introductions

Katara felt very uncomfortable.

She was wearing the suit of armor that the Earth Kingdom army had provided for her. The pieces fit well enough, but they were heavy! She wondered how on earth Toph managed to fling around her body so effortlessly while wearing armor many times heavier than her own. _Earthbenders, _she muttered to herself, walking aimlessly back and forth, trying to get her limbs used to the weight.

She had never needed armor. Why should she start now?

Annoyed, Katara stopped pacing and set her feet, moving her body slowly through the basic waterbending forms. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the joints in the armor allowed her free movement; it wouldn't interfere with her bending. "Hm," she murmured, straightening up. "Maybe those earthbenders know what they're doing, after all."

"Earthbenders usually do, y'know."

With something that sounded suspiciously like a squeak, Katara spun around. Toph was standing in her doorway, leaning against the doorframe and chewing on a straw. "_Toph!" _she cried, her voice full of indignation. "You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry." The smirk on the earthbender's face belied her words. "It's time to go, Katara. You ready to be intimidating?"

"No. Am I ever?" Katara sighed and straightened out the tunic she was wearing underneath her breastplate.

"It should be easy for you," Toph said breezily. "Just pretend these guys are all Zuko clones, and it'll be smooth sailing." Katara blushed, and the earthbender laughed. "You used to tear his head off pretty good!"

"So I have a temper." The Water Tribe girl waved a hand. "Never you mind, Miss Bei Fong. I could tell stories about you, too!"

"No use, Sweetness." Toph laughed again. "The boys have seen more than enough of me these past few years. Whatever you can tell 'em won't shock them!" She pushed away from the doorframe. "Come on, Katara. We can't be late, and our escort's waiting."

Far sooner than she would have liked, Katara found herself standing before a battalion of soldiers. She stood as Toph had showed her – back straight and head up, her hands clasped behind her back. Toph herself was stalking back and forth before the troops, ramrod-straight and every inch the general. "Ambassador Katara once taught waterbending to the Avatar himself," the earthbender was saying. "She is now your sergeant. She will teach you advanced waterbending techniques. I expect every man of you to pay her all the respect that her history and position demands!" Toph paused, turning her head slowly from left to right as if she were glaring at the assembled soldiers. With that, she turned back and took her place at Katara's side. It was the waterbender's turn.

Katara stepped forward. She had given many speeches over her years as an ambassador, a few of them to Fire Nation troops. This, she knew how to do. "As ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe and a former associate of Aang, the Avatar, I know how important it is for all the nations to be stable," she said. "As one who fought in the Battle of Sozin's Comet, I know what war is like. I have spent many years working to prevent it from ever happening again." She paused, her eyes moving over the soldiers before her. None moved.

"But there are those," she went on, "who want the war to go on. There are those who want to destabilize the nations, and plunge us all back into the hell that was the Hundred Year War." She walked a little, then turned back to them. "I am here to teach you advanced waterbending, as General Bei Fong has said," she said. "I am here to give you the skills necessary to fight back against the people who want to take down your cities –your homes, your families." She paused again, looking them over. "I look forward to working with you in the coming weeks," she said.

Toph glanced at the waterbender, then moved forward. "That is all," she said imperiously. "Dismissed!"

They waited together, side-by-side as the soldiers filed from the parade grounds. Toph's face was cool and composed, Katara noted, sneaking a sidelong glance at the young woman's aristocratic profile. She couldn't help but admire the way her lips pursed, the way her jet-black hair fell across her eyes. Catching herself, Katara quickly snapped her eyes forward again, and resumed watching the soldiers leaving.

When the parade grounds were empty, Toph let her shoulders sag a little. Her crooked grin dimpled her cheek as she turned her face to her friend. "Not bad, Sugar Queen. I'd almost think you'd given speeches before!"

"Well, I _am_ a politician." Katara sighed, squirming in her armor. "How do you stand walking around in this stuff?"

"You'll get used to it. Besides, it's a badge of honor." Toph shrugged.

Katara cast her a sidelong glance. "Kind of like a certain earthbending championship belt you used to wear all the time?"

"Kind of." Toph smiled. "I have twelve of those, now. They're mounted on the wall in my trophy room." She shrugged. "I'd have more, only the fighting often doesn't give me time to compete."

A man approached them and bowed solemnly. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, and sported a neatly-trimmed black beard. He wore a dark robe with a green circle on the chest, and a peaked hat. Katara recognized the uniform – this man was one of the Dai Li. "General Bei Fong! It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Chenglai." Toph returned the bow, then glanced at Katara. "This is Ambassador Katara, now Sergeant Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara, this is Chenglai, head of the Dai Li of Ba Sing Se." Katara inclined her head graciously. "Did you need something from me, Chenglai?"

"No, General." He bowed again. "I merely wished to welcome you back to Ba Sing Se."

"Thank you." Toph nodded, and the man politely took his leave.

Katara watched him leave. "I don't think I can quite get past the mental image of the Dai Li joining with Azula, Toph," she said in a low voice. "I guess that isn't quite fair, is it? That was a long time ago."

The earthbender gave her a significant look. "It might not be _fair, _but it might be smart," she said quietly. "The Dai Li are very good at what they do, but they only really serve the Dai Li. As much as we've tried to change that." With a sigh, she shook her head – then grinned again. "But let's not think about depressing stuff right now. C'mon, Sugar Queen. Dinner at my digs?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Katara suddenly became aware of an uncomfortable emptiness under her breastplate. "I'm starving!"

"You think you're hungry now? Wait'll you start the training," Toph said knowingly. "_Then_ you'll be hungry!" The two women walked off the field together, heading back for the carriage.


	7. Cloak and Dagger

The Dancing Bear wasn't exactly a reputable place.

Mai had slipped from her quarters a half-hour before, dressed in Earth Kingdom clothing and a dark cloak left over from her days as an assassin. Now she sat quietly at a table in the pub, very conscious of the knives strapped to her body. It had been some time since she had gone out fully armed – she was carrying all one hundred of her weapons. She was unused to their weight.

In silence, Mai sipped her warm sake and waited, her eyes moving slowly over the motley crowd. She wondered if she was insane, coming out to a place like this. Ba Sing Se was a city at war with itself, after all. At any time, there could be terrorist attacks. And here she was – she, Fire Lady of the Fire Nation! – sitting at a seedy little bar in the poor section of town! She sighed a little, nursing her cup. Only Azula could have persuaded her to do something so foolhardy.

A dark figure suddenly slipped into the seat across from her. Startled, Mai sat up; Azula's golden eyes glinted at her from the depths of a hooded cloak. "You came," the former princess said, her voice barely rising above a murmur. "I wondered if you would."

"I came." Mai nodded indifferently, her silver eyes narrowing as they swept once more across the room. "I don't know why, but I came."

"Curiosity, maybe?" Azula smirked. "Or maybe you missed me." She lowered her eyes, resting her hands on the table. "I missed you."

The keen gaze of the Fire Lady moved swiftly back to her companion. There was a pause. "Did you?" she said finally. "That seems strange to me. You had me thrown into prison and tortured. The last time I saw you, you were being dragged away, screaming and cursing us all and telling us you wouldn't rest until we were dead."

Even though her face was partly hidden by the hood, Mai saw Azula wince. "I'm not going to try to defend myself. There isn't any defense." She looked up at her. "Would it help if I apologized?"

"Not really." Mai's eyes were cold as she remembered the long, lonely months she had spent in the dungeon. "I don't see any reason to not consider you my enemy."

"No. I guess you wouldn't." The former princess sighed deeply. "No one to blame but myself for that, I suppose." She rested her elbows on the table, leaning heavily on them. She looked weary. "Tell me, Mai. Did Ty Lee ever go back to the circus, or did she go the noblewoman route and marry a rich man?"

"She went back." The Fire Lady couldn't help smiling at the thought. "She went back to the circus, and she married a clown. She tells me he can juggle."

Azula laughed a little. "A juggler!" she muttered. "That's just like her." She stopped a waitress on her way by and ordered a pint of ale. Mai's eyebrows went up – she'd never pictured the ex-princess drinking something so unrefined. Azula noticed the look, smiled, and shrugged. "What can I say? I've absorbed the local color."

"The local…color." Mai was starting to wonder if this was some kind of insane dream that she was having. "Azula, what do you want?"

"I already told you. I just want to spend a little time with an old friend, and hear the news from home." The young woman's golden eyes smiled. "How is my brother, Mai? I haven't heard any news about royal children yet."

"No children." Mai's lips were tight. _There is no way I'm telling her about Zulie, or Zuko. _"I'm not going to talk to you about _him."_

"Fair enough. I can't blame you." The waitress set Azula's drink on the table. Soberly, the ex-princess took a large swallow from the mug. "I have a question for you," she said finally, setting down the pint carefully. "I wouldn't ask, except that with your…position…you would know the answer better than anyone." She hesitated. "Is there any way – any penance I can serve – so that I could go home someday?"

The Fire Lady's silver eyes narrowed to mere slits. Slowly, she leaned forward, dropping her voice so that no one but Azula could hear her words. "Azula, after everything that you've done, it would mean instant death for you to so much as lay the sole of your foot on Fire Nation territory."

To her surprise, the former princess sat back and laughed. "Mai, after everything I've done, it means death to set my foot _anywhere,_" she said. "I'm not asking to be reinstated. Even if I hadn't changed, I wouldn't be that stupid. All I'm asking for is the chance to grow old and die on Fire Nation soil. I _am_ Fire Nation."

"Grow old and die, huh?" Mai cast a sardonic look at her old friend, who was still barely twenty-two years old.

Azula didn't smile. "I'm not a fool, Mai. I know well enough it will be a long time before this can ever happen, if it happens at all. I just want the chance to be forgiven."

This gave Mai pause. She sat back in her seat and regarded Azula thoughtfully, a finger resting on her bottom lip. "I make no promises," she said at last. "I can start talking about it with my husband. But it will take a long time before he'll even consider the idea, and much longer than that before he agrees to it."

Visible relief crossed Azula's face. For a moment, she didn't speak. "Thank you," she said softly. "Thank you…"

The Fire Lady frowned, still thinking. "We'll need some way to keep in touch until then. Otherwise I won't know where to find you."

Azula smirked. Mai thought that she looked a bit more like the old Azula. "I did think about that, Mai," she said calmly. "Your father is still governor of New Ozai. Correct?"

"Yes. But my father would hardly be likely to post letters for an enemy of the state, not even for me." Mai frowned.

"I know that." Azula favored Mai with a slightly exasperated look, one that clearly said _when _will_ you learn how to think? _"I was thinking of your cousin, Jian. He still lives in New Ozai, doesn't he?" Frowning, Mai nodded. "He'd probably do it for you."

Even now, the former Fire Princess still remembered the connections, still knew how to pull strings to get things done. Mai couldn't restrain a slight smile. "He probably would," she agreed drily. "I assume you have some kind of assumed name you're operating under now?"

"I do. I am known as Daiyu." Azula nodded, her eyes smiling. "We can correspond through your cousin, then?"

"We can. But I have to go." Mai set down her empty sake glass. Reaching into her changepurse, she laid a few coins on the table. "Here," she said. "Buy yourself a good meal. I know farming doesn't pay much."

"You're too kind." Azula inclined her head in such a way that Mai knew it was intended to substitute for a formal bow. "Wait, Mai." The elegant woman paused in the act of turning away, her pale face twisting back over her shoulder to look at her. "Can I see you again?"

Mai tightened her jaw and hesitated for a second. "If you come to my rooms at midnight the night after next, I will be there," she said at last. Azula nodded. "May Agni's flames light your path." The Fire Lady turned and left, drawing the black hood of her cloak up over her head. Azula laid her hands over the coins on the table and smiled.


	8. Rock Garden

The meal had been excellent, even by royal standards. Katara had greatly enjoyed the selection of Earth Kingdom delicacies that Toph's house staff had laid out before her. The food was greasier than that in the Fire Nation, and not so simply satisfying as that of the Water Tribe (or so she thought, anyway), but it had been good. Katara sat back with a contented sigh, holding a half-cup of wine in her hand.

Toph mirrored the gesture, then put a mug of ale to her lips. Her light green eyes were twinkling above the rim of the glass. "Feeling better, Sweetness?"

"_Much_ better." Katara smiled. "That was amazing, Toph. Thank you."

"Glad you liked it." The general set down her mug. "I was thinking of sending out for seal jerky and blubber, but they're kind of in short supply around here."

Katara snorted with laughter. "Toph, I haven't eaten that since I left the south pole! I probably wouldn't even have recognized the stuff."

"Good thing, too. It sounds gross." Toph grinned. Silence fell as they both sipped at their drinks.

Abruptly, Toph rose from her seat, pushing her chair back. "Are you tired, Sugar Queen?" she asked. "I've got something I want to show you, but it'll mean you won't get to bed for at least another hour."

Katara _was_ tired, but going to bed seemed to pale beside an opportunity to spend more time with her friend. She smiled and shrugged. "Sleep's overrated, anyway." Toph laughed low and beckoned for her to follow.

They walked together into the gardens behind the guesthouse. Neither woman spoke. Katara breathed the night air deeply, her heart full of satisfaction. It was a beautiful night, and she was happy to be spending it with Toph. She felt a pang. _If only Toph knew…if only she felt the same way…if only it were acceptable._ The waterbender sighed. _That is the only thing that could make this night more…perfect. _After another fifteen minutes or so, Toph suddenly turned a corner around a hedge. Katara followed her – and gasped.

She had seen beautiful gardens before, but nothing quite like this. There was a pool there, its surface mirror-smooth in the moonlight, surrounded by stones. There were stones everywhere, actually, and no plants – rounded, jagged, black, white, gray. They were arranged in some kind of haphazard pattern that defied description. Oh, it was beautiful! "Oh, Toph!" she whispered. "This…this is amazing!"

The earthbender's face, dimly lit by the torches that illuminated the garden, looked almost shy as she smiled. "You like it? I had it done before I left for the Fire Nation. I wanted it in stones so I could appreciate it." She brushed her bare feet against the rocks underneath them. "Does it look nice to your eyes, too?"

"Yes!" Katara whispered, her eyes tracing the contours of the pool. "It's perfect, Toph."

"I'm glad you like it." The general sat down on the ground cross-legged, as she had when she was a child. "I come here sometimes at night, just to be by myself. It's a good place to think." Slowly, Katara sat down beside her friend. They sat together quietly, enjoying the peace.

Katara was suddenly very conscious of Toph's closeness. She couldn't feel her body heat through the armor she was wearing, but she could feel her proximity nonetheless. She looked over at the earthbender; Toph was smiling blissfully, her toes digging in amongst the rocks as she relaxed. Shyly, Katara moved a little closer, until their arms touched. Toph didn't move away.

There was silence for a few moments more, until Toph broke it. "You know, Katara, a lot of things have changed since we were kids." She paused. "You and I, we've hardly talked all these years."

"I know." Katara nodded regretfully. "I…wish that hadn't been true. I've missed you, Toph."

"I missed you, too." Toph's voice was serious. "As weird as it is, I think we were both way more innocent back then," she said softly. "When the war was on, I mean. We were just all friends and trying to make the world a better place."

"We still are, Toph."

"Are we?" Those sightless green eyes were full of sorrow. "Are we _really, _Katara? That's what I've been wondering."

"What do you mean?" Katara's brow furrowed.

Toph sighed, tossing her head in frustration. Her shaggy hair flew and fell back into her face with the motion. "I don't know, Katara. This…this isn't something I talk about with people. But…all the fighting, you know? All the people I've killed, some of them with my own hands. And yet, is the world any better? Are we any closer?"

Katara thought of certain fruitless negotiations she had been involved in, and thought she understood. "I don't know, Toph," she said quietly. "I don't know…but I'm not willing to stop trying,"

"No. Me neither." Toph's lips set in a grim line. "I won't _ever_ stop, Katara. I just…I just hope I don't get to the end of my life, and find that it's all been for nothing."

"Oh, _Toph." _Without thinking, Katara flung her arms around her. The bracers around her arms rang against the polished metal on Toph's shoulders. "You won't, Toph. You _won't_. It's hard and it's discouraging and it's…well, it's awful sometimes. But it's worth it, Toph! It is!"

"I hope so." Toph leaned into her, resting her shaggy head against Katara's shoulder. She sighed. "I wish I was a kid again, sometimes. Then I could just let you hug me and pretend for a while that everything was okay."

Katara couldn't help chuckling, remembering all the times that she had held the then-little earthbender in her arms during their travels. Toph had always been brash and mouthy, but there was a self-conscious, sensitive side to her, too. That side was one that few people other than Katara ever saw. She wondered if the adult Toph was really much different. "I missed you, Toph," she said, her voice full of affection.

"You said that already, Sugar Queen." The earthbender grinned.

"It's still true, Sourpuss," Katara laughed.

There was another pause. The waterbender didn't move. _I wish I could stay here forever, just holding my Toph in my arms. _She sighed a little. She wished those words wouldn't keep coming to her mind. _Stay with me. I need you. I love you._

After a while, Toph sat up again, and Katara released her, not without some regret. The earthbender scooted around to face her, resting her weight on her arms. "Katara, the reason I asked you out here is that I want to talk to you about something," she said.

"Oh? What's that?" Katara looked at her warily. Something in the earthbender's tone made her nervous.

Toph sighed through her nose. "Katara…" She hesitated. "Katara, do you remember the Battle of Sozin's Comet? – How I fell, and you came and saved me?" Katara nodded, making a small noise of agreement. Toph lowered her head, her minty green eyes focused blankly on the rocks at her feet. "You tended me. You cared for me like an angel," she said softly. "And that…made me think."

"About what?" Katara said eventually, after a silence.

The general made a face. "Ach! I've never been good at this mushy stuff," she said with disgust. "Listen, it's…well, I've never found anyone else who was as kind and gentle with me as you are. You've always understood me, Katara – even when we would snipe and bicker with each other. I always knew you were on my side."

The waterbender smiled unsteadily. "I always was, Toph."

"I know." Toph's dimple appeared again, then vanished as the seriousness returned. "Do you remember how I had such a crush on Sokka?"

"Yeah." Katara giggled. "I remember, Toph. You were so cute! You'd turn pink whenever he'd pay attention to you, and you'd beat him up the next second, just so he wouldn't catch on."

Toph nodded. "Yep. Well, that…didn't last long." She paused uncomfortably. "You see, Katara, I…I found someone else."

Was the earthbender engaged? Katara gave her a searching look even as a twinge of regret pained her. "Really? Who is it, Toph? I'd like to know the man who could capture the heart of General Bei Fong!"

With a frustrated growl, Toph waved her off. "No! Hell, Katara, quit interrupting me. You're making this harder than it needs to be."

"Oh. I'm sorry." The waterbender fell silent.

"_Anyway." _Toph scratched her nose. "I found someone else. Someone I'd known for a long time, but had never really _noticed_, you understand?" Katara nodded gravely, forgetting for the moment that Toph couldn't see it. "Anyway, I really _noticed_ this…someone…one day. And I thought I'd like to find out whether things could go…further. But then the end of the war came, and everything changed." She held up her hands helplessly. "We were separated, and life went on."

Katara felt strange, as if she should understand what Toph was saying, but couldn't somehow. "Toph, what…what do you mean? Why are you being so cryptic?"

Toph groaned in frustration. A moment later, Katara found herself flat on her back, a half-scowling, half-laughing earthbender pinning her to the ground by her shoulders. "Spirits! Katara, are you always this dense?" Toph cried. "I'm trying to tell you that I love you!"

Shock flooded Katara's face. She stared up at the blind woman, her mouth hanging open, She couldn't seem to find words. "You…you _what?"_ she whispered.

_This couldn't be happening. _The pale cheeks of the earthbender were blushing pink, now, her face twisting into a mask of uncertainty. Katara stared up into the milky eyes. She felt stunned, as if Toph had struck her. "I said," the tall woman said, her voice dropping back into her normal range, "I _love_ you, Katara." She paused, her lips drawing together in a tight line. "Do…do you…"

"Toph." Katara squirmed under the earthbender's powerful grip. Toph released her, despite the fact that she could have pinned her down easily. Shaking, Katara sat up, moving and turning so that she was facing her. "Toph," she whispered again, and the hope in the other woman's face tore at her heart. "We can't. Toph, we can't. You _know_ that. You _must_ know that!"

"Why not?" the earthbender demanded harshly, her dark brows lowering. "I know you feel something for me, Katara. I _know _you do! Why should we just ignore that?"

"Because," the waterbender said, her voice choked, "there are more important things than you and I, Toph." She reached out and touched the Earth Kingdom symbol engraved in the steel of the general's breastplate; Toph flinched. "You and I both know that. You've worked just as hard as I have to end the fighting. I'm not willing to let all that go, even if…" She trailed off, fighting the lump that was rising in her throat. "Even if it means that we can't be together."

Anger flooded the earthbender's face. "Let _what_ go?" she snapped, her voice rising. "Who's suggesting letting anything go? I didn't say we should drop everything and elope, damn it. I didn't say we should run off to the Western Air Temple to camp and live on wild hamster-chicken for the rest of our lives! I just told you I loved you!"

Tears were brimming in Katara's eyes, now. "I know that, Toph. But you know as well as I do that we wouldn't be _accepted. _It would hurt your position. It would hurt mine!"

"Your position?' Is that what this is about for you?" Toph was in full-on rage mode, her black brows lowered, her mint-green eyes blazing. "I tell you I love you, and you tell me it will hurt your _status?"_

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Katara snapped. "I just don't want innocent people to die just because we happen to want each other!"

"What the _hell, _Katara? When did you suddenly turn into some kind of melodramatic fruitcake? Are you planning on murdering a bunch of people if we start dating?" Some of the fury faded from Toph's face as she spoke, and a twinkle of humor appeared. "Because I can't help thinking that would be a little out of character…"

The waterbender scowled. "Don't mock me, Toph. If we get…involved, it will hurt our reputations. I'm a politician, and I know how important reputation is. What's more, so do you. It will hurt our ability to do our jobs."

"You don't know that." Toph was still frowning. "A lot of my men have shady pasts, and they're still respected officers in the Earth Kingdom army. Why would my being with you sink me?" She shook her head sharply. "You're paranoid, Katara."

"Am I?" The Water Tribe woman looked away. Her heart ached. "I'm sorry, Toph. I'm just not willing to risk lo – mmph!" She squeaked as her arms were seized, and a hungry mouth suddenly covered hers.

Toph's touch was electric, her lips both soft and demanding on hers. Katara couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't even think. Toph's rich, earthy scent filled her nostrils. She felt her tongue thrust into her mouth, and found herself responding, her jaw going slack to allow the earthbender access. The tongue flicked across the roof of her mouth, running lightly along her teeth. She gasped softly, breaking the contact. Toph released her arms, and she fell backward onto the ground, her head coming to rest on the grass at the edge of the rock garden. She stared up at the sky in stunned silence.

She could hear Toph's low chuckle, and the sound was both dark and sultry. "You were saying, Sweetness?"

It took a minute or two for Katara to recover. Finally she sat up, turning her ice-blue eyes on the earthbender. Toph was waiting quietly. Katara thought she could see the hint of a smirk playing about the earthbender's lips. "Okay," she said quietly. "Okay, so I…I have feelings for you, Toph." Her breath hitched. "I just…we can't afford to be selfish in all this, is what I'm saying."

Toph moved closer to her, and leaned in until her lips brushed Katara's ear. "Not everything in the world is divided between selfish and unselfish, Sugar Queen," she whispered, her breath hot on the waterbender's neck. "You can have what you want _and_ do what you need to do, you know."

The temptation was too much. Katara turned suddenly, caught Toph's head between her hands, and thrust her lips against hers. The second kiss was even better than the first, if that was even possible. Katara was giddy and trembling by the time it broke. "Toph," she whispered. "Toph…"

"Katara." The earthbender's voice was soft and reverent, holding the word gently, as if it would break if she spoke it too loudly. "Please." Their arms intertwined. "I know there are things in the way, but…I love you, Katara."

"You've bewitched me," Katara groaned, heady with the moonlight and the kisses and the warmth of the other woman's body. Then she laughed a little, her fingers slipping up to Toph's neck and catching at the collar that peeked out from under the armor. "Please, give me…give me some time to think."

"No!" Toph's voice was suddenly harsh. The arms that held the waterbender tightened noticeably. "No way, Katara. That's just another way of telling me you don't want to be with me. Now answer me! Do you love me, or not?"

For a moment, the ambassador considered pulling away, squirming out of Toph's grip and launching into some indignant tirade. Then, abruptly, all the bluster drained out of her. She slowly looked up. Looking into the blind eyes of the earthbender, the only thing she could think of was the truth. "Yes, Toph," she said softly. "Yes, I do."

Toph let out a long breath. Slowly, her grip on Katara loosened. The two women sat back and looked at each other in silence. A faint grin spread over the earthbender's face after a while. "Well," she said, "now what?"

The waterbender couldn't help but laugh. "Now?" she said. "Now…well, we go to our respective houses and get some sleep, I guess."

Toph made a face. "How unromantic," she said. "Aren't we supposed to go somewhere and get married and live happily ever after, or something?"

"That comes later," Katara said softly. "Don't you remember the fairy tales? The lovers have to overcome the great evil dragon first, and then collapse in each others' arms at the end of it all. Then comes the happily ever after."

"Pfft." Toph tossed her head. "We already took _down_ Azula."

Once more, Katara couldn't help laughing. "Toph, that isn't what I meant! Stop being ridiculous."

"I like being ridiculous. It makes you laugh." The earthbender grinned mischievously. "And I like it when you laugh, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe!" Her hand found Katara's, and encircled it.

The Water Tribe woman had to admit that Toph's touch was intoxicating. Her fingers burned on her skin. She sighed. Her expression grew apologetic. "I still think we need to keep this under wraps as much as we can, Toph," she said. "At least until I've proved myself to your army."

The earthbender scowled, but sighed. "Okay. I guess you're right." She released Katara's hand after a moment and slowly rose to her feet. "C'mon, Sugar Queen. Can I at least walk you to your door?"

"I would be honored," Katara said, rising and dropping an elaborate bow.

The walk back to the guesthouse was almost as magical as the walk out to the rock garden. When they reached the door, Toph whispered her goodbyes. Katara went to sleep that night with the earthbender's soft voice still ringing in her ears, and the feeling of her kiss burning on her lips.


	9. Close Call

Azula was nothing if not prompt.

This was the first thought that Mai had when the former princess arrived through the window of her room, at precisely midnight. She turned from the scroll she was reading with affected indifference. "Good evening, Daiyu," she said, using the pseudonym in case anyone should overhear.

"Good evening." Azula pulled down her hood. Her hair was disheveled, and she looked cross. "I'm lucky I made it here," she said. "There was a group of mercenaries clashing with the city guards on the way here, and I almost got caught in the middle of it!" She cast Mai a sidelong glance, and her eyes glittered with wry amusement. "That might have gone badly for me."

"It certainly would have, if the city guards had caught you," Mai agreed calmly. Her voice held a certain coolness. "I believe one of the stipulations of your exile was that you not participate in any kind of combat, on pain of death."

"Combat," Azula said scathingly. "I can't firebend anymore. What on earth would I combat with?" She sighed then, shaking her head. Then, glancing at the Fire Lady, "I'm not a fool, Mai. I've no desire to have my head put on a pike."

Self-preservation had always been high on Azula's priority list, and it looked as if that, at least, hadn't changed. Mai reflected on this briefly, her eyes never leaving her guest. After a moment, she shrugged a little. "Tea?" she asked, waving her hand at a steaming teapot on the desk.

"Don't mind if I do. Earth Kingdom tea tastes like raw sewage." Azula took the cup that Mai offered her and sipped, breathing deeply. "Ah! There are things that only the Fire Nation does properly. Tea is definitely one of them." Mai simply looked at her, and Azula frowned. "What?"

"Forgive me, your former highness, but it's just a little hard to believe that you've become like your uncle, and spend all your time drinking tea and playing Pai Sho." The former assassin fixed Azula with a sharp gaze. "I've known you from the time we were both in diapers, Azu…_Daiyu_. I know how devious you are. How do I know all this isn't some act?"

Azula's face became guarded and grim. "I guess you don't," she said, after a pause. "I really don't have any proof to give you. I suppose I could bring the farmer I'm working for as a character witness, but then you'd probably tell me that I'd terrorized him into saying what I wanted." She took another sip of her tea. "You know what's strange, Mai? When your husband sentenced me to exile, he told me I was never to return to the Fire Nation until I achieved spiritual enlightenment. I wonder what kind of enlightenment he meant, and what criteria I'd have to meet?" She cocked an eyebrow in Mai's direction. "Or do you think it was empty platitudes, like the impossible chase Father sent him out on years ago?"

The Fire Lady didn't speak. She remembered the words on Zuko's lips, and they had seemed right at the time. Now, though, she wondered. What _had_ they meant? _Did _they mean anything? She glanced sharply at Azula. The former Fire Princess was quietly sipping her tea, her eyes averted. "So you said you're working on a farm," she said casually, changing the subject. "What exactly are you doing?"

Azula made a wry face, then smiled. "Well, it's a living," she said. "There's a man about an hour and a half's walk from Ba Sing Se who raises chicken-pigs. His name's Kenji. I take care of his housework while he works with the animals." She shrugged. "I've learned a lot of skills in the last while. Did you know I can do laundry and cook now?" She laughed.

Mai couldn't help but smile at the mental picture of the fastidious princess up to her elbows in soap suds. She raised a brow – Azula had actually made a joke at her own expense, and then laughed at it? "That's good to hear. You always were quick to adapt to things."

The former princess nodded, nursing her teacup. "You look as if life in the palace is agreeing with you, Mai. You're not nearly as thin and angular as you used to be."

"Not as much exercise," Mai conceded. "I'm still a dead shot with a dagger, though."

"You always will be," Azula said firmly. "You could peg a beetle to a wall at twenty yards with a knife." She finished her cup of tea and set it down. "I'll always remember the first time I saw you do that. _That_ was when I decided I wanted you for my elite team."

"Really?" Mai frowned a little. "I was ten years old!"

"Sure. But I knew I'd need a team sooner or later." Azula dismissed the subject with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, that's all water under the bridge. I don't have teams anymore; that's more your department."

"We operate differently now, Azu – er, Daiyu." Mai's voice was dry.

"Oh?" Azula's eyes flickered with interest for a moment. Then, with a shrug, she leaned back in her chair. "Well, no matter. It's out of my jurisdiction, anyway." She smirked. "So, have you asked my dear brother whether I can ever come home yet?"

Mai shook her head. "No. It hasn't exactly come up. And I'm not going to just spring something like that on him without a proper lead-in. He'd know something was up."

"Of course he would." Azula sighed and nodded. "Well, he's your husband, Mai, after all. I'm sure you know how best to broach the subject." She toyed absently with the handle of her teacup. "I'd just like to start on whatever penance he might prescribe as soon as possible. I miss the Fire Nation."

As incredible as it was, Mai found herself actually believing the young woman. Azula had always been a liar, a skilled manipulator – but Mai had never seen that lost, lonely look in her eyes. Ever. The Fire Lady allowed some of her reserve to melt, and laid her hand on Azula's arm. "I promised I'd ask him," she said gently, "and I will."

For a moment, Azula's eyes rested on the hand. She seemed to be uncertain of how to react. Her amber eyes raised to Mai's. "Thank you," she said softly. And Mai couldn't be certain, but she thought she saw Azula's eyes misting.

There was a knock at the door! Both women went rigid. "Fire Lady Mai?" came the sharp voice of a guard. "Is everything all right?"

With almost superhuman speed, Azula sprang from the table, crossed the floor, and leaped through the window. An instant later, the door opened. Mai turned her eyes to the bemused guard, schooling her face into severity. "What do you mean by bursting into my quarters at this hour of the night?" she demanded, channeling her fear to make her voice sharp. "Is it the custom here in the Earth Kingdom for commoners to barge into the rooms of royalty?"

"No. No, my lady." He flinched, bowing. "I…I saw a light on, and I heard voices. I thought you might be in danger."

"If I were in danger," Mai spat, "I would have called for help, you fool. If I want to work at night, I expect to be allowed to do so undisturbed. Now get out!" The guard bowed low and cringed from the room, murmuring apologies. The door closed.

For a moment, the Fire Lady stayed where she was, inhaling deeply. Then she moved to the window and peered out.

Azula was there, crouched on the stone rampart by the gable. Mai could see her red lips twisting into a rueful smile. "That was close."

"It was." Mai shook her head. "We'll have to continue this interview later, Daiyu. And maybe somewhere else." She sighed. "I can't risk having Zuko find out about this. You understand."

"Of course I do." Azula pulled her hood over her head. "When can I see you again?"

The former assassin considered. "The Fire Lord and I will be making diplomatic visits all this week," she said. "I can't possibly get away until Thursday night."

"Then shall we make it Thursday night at The Dancing Bear?" Azula suggested. "After all, that worked pretty well last time."

"That works." Mai nodded. "Until then."

Azula put her clenched fist against her hand and bowed. "Until then, Fire Lady Mai. Live long and burn brightly." With that, she was gone, darting across the rooftop on swift, noiseless feet.


	10. Stir Fry

With a grunt of exhaustion, Katara threw herself down on her bed, armor and all. Her eyes closed.

The past week had been a whirlwind of activity. Every morning she had gone to the military base and spent ten or twelve hours training the waterbenders. After that, she often didn't even have time to eat before being whisked off to some political function or other, usually as a sort of celebrity bodyguard for Fire Lord Zuko and his wife, Mai. She was only averaging about four or five hours of sleep a night.

Her evening meal would be ready soon, a servant had informed her. As she felt her knotted muscles relax, Katara wondered if she would bother eating it, or if she would just sleep. She hadn't been this tired in years!

There was a knock on the door. Katara threw a pillow over her head and groaned in annoyance. "Go away!"

"Aw, come on, Katara," came Toph's teasing voice. "Don't you want to come out and play?"

"I don't want to come out and _anything." _The waterbender didn't move. "I feel like I've been trampled by an ostrich-horse!"

The bed creaked under the earthbender's weight, and Katara felt a callused hand brush along her arm. "It'll get better," she said sympathetically. "Once Fire Lord Sparky and his wife head back to the Fire Nation, we won't be so overworked."

"Unh." Katara didn't move, nor did she open her eyes.

Toph patted her arm. "C'mon, get up, Katara. You need to eat before you sleep, no matter how tired you are. Trust me, it's worse if you don't eat." The waterbender lazily aimed a blow at Toph's arm, which the earthbender dodged. "Hey, missy, you're gonna get yourself in trouble. Up, now!" She caught Katara by the wrist and pulled her to her feet.

"Toph!" Katara growled, as the earthbender manhandled her from the room and down the hall to the dining area.

"It's for your own good, Sweetness." Toph sat her down in one of the chairs at the table and gestured to a silent servant, who vanished accordingly. "So you eat, and we'll talk a bit before we sleep." Then, as Katara glared at her, "Hey, this is your general talking, missy. You behave!"

"Fine." Some of the anger faded from the waterbender's eyes, and she turned her head away. "I know you're right, anyway," she sighed. "I just haven't been this tired in years."

"You'll get used to it." Toph smiled. "Oh, here comes the food." A minute later, the servants arrived with covered dishes. As Katara watched grumpily, Toph piled a plate with dumplings, stir fry and spring rolls. "Eat," the earthbender ordered, plunking the plate in front of her friend.

With a sigh, Katara took up her fork. When the first bite of dumpling touched her tongue, she realized just how hungry she was; she ate. She reflected that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast that day, because she had been so engrossed in teaching the recruits a new water-shielding technique. "Mm, that's good."

"Told you." Toph grinned, leaning over to what remained on the serving dishes, and popped a spring roll into her own mouth. "Hey, you're right, not bad." Then, growing more serious, "How is it coming, Katara? – Besides your being tired, I mean."

"Not too bad, I guess." Katara stopped talking in order to chew and swallow a large mouthful of dumpling. "The recruits seem to be picking up what I'm telling them pretty well. If I can get them working as a unit, they should be a formidable force." She took another bite, this time of rice and vegetables.

"Good." The general tapped her fingers on the tabletop. "We're going to need all the men we can get soon, I'm afraid. The Dai Lee have been picking up rumbles about the insurgents lately – they're planning something, something big."

"Like what?" Katara stopped eating, her brow furrowing.

"We're not sure." Toph looked frustrated. "There's just rumors, rumors…missing shipments of things, people disappearing, things like that." She sighed. "I almost miss fighting the Fire Nation, Katara! At least the Fire Nation came at us directly, you know? We knew what we were dealing with, more or less. These people are like shadows. They appear and disappear and strike and vanish – _ugh! _They're worse than airbenders!" She thumped her fist on the table, making the dishes jump.

Katara frowned deeper, continuing to eat. She hadn't yet come into contact with any insurgent attacks, but she knew it was only a matter of time. "And the Dai Lee can't come up with anything more?"

Toph sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "We've lost a lot of men in the last year. A lot of them are new recruits now. They're enthusiastic, but not nearly so good at their jobs as the veterans…" She stopped. "It's really frustrating," she admitted. "Sometimes I feel like we're fighting a losing battle." The waterbender ate in silence, not sure what to say. "It wasn't this bad at first. It's only in the last three years or so that it's really escalated. They have new leaders, leaders who can plan."

Gently, the waterbender leaned over and laid a hand on Toph's wrist. "It'll be all right, Toph," she said softly. "We took down Fire Lord Ozai and his daughter – we can take down whoever's behind all this violence. We just have to keep going."

The earthbender nodded, closing her blind eyes, and sighed. "I know." She smiled a little. "It's good that you're here, Sugar Queen. I can't talk to any of my men like this. For them, I always have to be strong and confident."

"You _are_ strong and confident. Feeling discouraged every now and then doesn't change that." Katara found that she'd cleared her plate; she spooned some more stir fry onto it.

"Strength and confidence might not be enough. We need to _crush _this thing." Toph idly helped herself to a dumpling and nibbled on it. "What we need is some brilliant minds on our side. Strategists, y'know? That kind of thing."

Katara eyed her. "Have you considered my brother?" she asked, in between bites of rice. "I mean, I know he's doing the ambassador thing in my place in the Fire Nation right now, but he's a good strategist. Maybe there's a way he can help.."

"That's not a bad idea." Toph rubbed her chin. "I'll send him a messenger hawk tomorrow and see what he says."

At last, Katara felt full. She pushed away her plate, very conscious of her weariness. "Well, that was good, Toph, but I need to get some sleep," she said. "I'm going to have to go to bed."

"Mm. And by yourself, too. Sad." Toph laughed as Katara turned toward her in indignation. She leaned in, kissed Katara gently on the lips, and took her leave.

"Have a good sleep, Sweetness! I'll see you in the morning." Half-stunned, Katara listened to the woman's footsteps, then the slam of the door behind her.


	11. Sake

The night was cold. Despite the dark cloak that she had pulled around her, Mai shivered as the wind picked up. _I'm getting soft, _she told herself. _Too many years in the Fire Nation!_ She could see the pub ahead, and headed for it gratefully.

Inside, the air was much warmer. Mai breathed a sigh of relief. Then, keeping her face covered, she made her way to the corner table where she would await Azula's arrival. She ordered a warm sake from the waitress. _Nothing better than warm sake in a place as cold and godforsaken as this, _she thought. She'd heard that the Water Tribes were even colder than this. The thought made her shudder, and hope that her husband would never decide to take her along on any of his Water Tribe diplomatic visits.

"Mai." Looking up abruptly, she found Azula standing beside her, the warm sake in her hands. With a smile, the former princess set the glass down in front of her and sat down. "Good to see you again, old friend."

"Thank you." Mai took the drink and smiled a little. "It's…good to see you, too." She sipped. The warmth was welcome; she shivered. "Ugh, this place is cold. I thought it was supposed to be warmer than this in the summer?"

"Not at night," Azula said casually. "It's not so bad. Farther north, you can even get some snow this time of year." She shrugged. "Count your blessings, Mai!" She smiled, then flagged down a waitress. "White wine," she ordered.

"No ale tonight?" Mai asked, cocking a sardonic brow.

"No. Not tonight." Azula leaned back in her chair and glanced over at the hearth where the fire was burning. "I'm not in such a…boorish mood tonight." She looked back at Mai, and smiled again. "What can I say? Associating with you must be bringing up all sorts of fond memories of plenty." She shrugged.

A pang of something like guilt struck the Fire Lady. She sighed. "I…broached the subject with my husband," she said quietly. "A little bit, anyway. I asked him what he'd meant by that bit about spiritual enlightenment."

"Really?" Azula's smile widened, and she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "What did he say about it?"

Mai sipped her drink. "He said that he wanted you to learn that all four nations are necessary. He said he wanted you to learn a little humility, too." She paused, watching the former princess's face. Azula nodded seriously, but said nothing. "He also said that he wanted you to learn respect for other people, and the world around you," she went on. "I asked him how he'd know if you'd achieved that, and he said he'd know by talking to you. So I guess I can't tell you what standard he's going by."

A slight frown crossed Azula's face. She accepted the drink the waitress handed her absently. "Well, that's…vague." She drank a little wine from her glass. "I believe I've learned some of it. I wonder how I'll know when I'm ready to ask for an audience with my brother?"

With a shrug, Mai drained her glass. "I don't know, Azu…_Daiyu. _I'll have to ask him for you later, when we're not so busy." She set down the cup. There was a slight bitter aftertaste to the sake that she didn't like – she wondered if it had been a bad year. _That's what you get for drinking what they serve in backwater establishments like this one!_ "But I think you've made progress, personally. The fact that you're doing the kind of work you're doing is already a big step."

Azula smiled and shrugged. "It's a job." She narrowed her eyes and sipped her wine again. "I hope dear Zuko will feel the same way you do."

Mai blinked. _The woman had said her brother's name out loud. And why was she looking at her like that? _She suddenly felt dizzy; her knuckles whitened as she clutched at the table. _The sake - ! _ "Azula! What did you do?" she gasped out.

"Drugged your drink," the former princess said with a shrug. "Really, Mai, I would think that you'd catch on quicker than that!" She laughed. "And don't bother calling for help, my dear. Everyone here is _mine."_

Dazed, Mai turned her head, and found all eyes on her. Some of them were laughing, some just staring in outright hostility. "_No!" _She staggered up from her seat, fumbling for one of her hidden knives, but her fingers wouldn't obey her. She fell and lay gasping, waves of dizziness crashing over her. "Azula, you traitorous _bitch!"_

"Never trust a snake, dear Mai." Azula rose from her seat, moved to where Mai lay, and stood smiling down at her. "Don't worry – you're not dying. Not yet, anyway. We want you alive, Fire Lady. You're much more _useful_ that way."

Now Mai's vision was starting to go – darkness was swallowing the edges of the world already. She fought it, fought the rough hands that fell on her, fought the cold chains as they fastened onto her wrists. It was no use. Her strength failed; her eyes closed, and she knew no more.


	12. Rumors of War

"Katara!" The waterbender groaned, waking from a sound sleep. Her head spun as she tried to pull her thoughts together. Someone was pounding on her door. In mingled annoyance and worry, Katara swung her legs out of the bed. She glanced at the window, and found that it was still pitch black outside.

The door opened, and Toph entered. Her shaggy hair was even more unkempt than usual, and a few straps of her armor were undone. "Katara, quick. We have to go. Fire Lady Mai has disappeared!"

"_What?" _Without conscious thought, Katara sprang from the bed and began to throw on her clothes. "How?"

"No one knows," Toph said. Her voice sounded a little frantic. "A servant went to check on her, and she was gone! It looks like her bed was never slept in. The palace has been searched, but she's nowhere to be found."

"And the Dai Li don't know anything?" The waterbender jerked her breastplate over her head and fumbled with the straps.

"Not a thing," Toph groaned. "Not one blessed thing! But then again, if Mai went willingly, you know how she can sneak. She's a bloody assassin…"

Katara paused in the act of fastening a bracer. "Willingly?" she echoed. "Why in the world would Mai go willingly with anyone?"

"Damned if I know, I'm just throwing things out here. Hurry!" Katara threw on her other bracer, pulled on her boots, and fairly ran after Toph.

By the time they reached the palace, everything was in an uproar. Guards and soldiers scurried everywhere like ants. The courtyards were lit up by torches, every inch of ground being turned over in the search for the missing monarch. Lieutenant Guiren appeared. "General Bei Fong – Sergeant Katara!"

Toph snapped her head to look at him. "Report, Lieutenant!" she barked. Katara glanced at her, a little startled. It was the first time she'd heard Toph use that tone.

"The palace and all its grounds have been searched twice, General. There's no sign of Fire Lady Mai." He saluted as he spoke. "I've taken the liberty of sending the Dai Li out to search the city."

"Good." Toph's mouth was set in a straight line. "Have the city gates been sealed, as I ordered?"

"Yes, General. No one may enter or exit Ba Sing Se. We've done the same with the palace gates."

"Excellent. Keep searching. I want every able-bodied soldier in this city out looking for her!" Toph snapped. "Katara and I will be meeting with the Earth King and Fire Lord Zuko. Report to me with any new information. Dismissed!" He saluted smartly and disappeared. "Come on, Katara. Let's go."

The throne room of the Earth King was quiet, but the air was buzzing with tension. Katara could see Zuko and the Earth King talking before the thrones; Zuko stood straight, his arms rigid at his sides. Even at that distance, she could see the barely-contained fury and unmistakable fear in his face. She and Toph approached at something close to a run. "My liege!" Toph said, dropping on one knee when she was about twenty feet from them. Katara quickly did the same.

"What news?" It was Zuko that answered, his voice harsh.

"Fire Lady Mai is nowhere in the palace, Fire Lord," Toph said. "Both the palace and the city are sealed off – no one can enter or exit either one." She paused. "The Dai Li have been dispatched. We should have news soon."

"Unacceptable!" Zuko snarled. "My wife must be _found! _Are you even _trying _to find her, Toph? Are you trying to start another war between our countries? She is the Fire Lady of the Fire Nation!"

"My lord, everything that can be done is being done." Toph's lip curled a little as she said this; Katara hoped the young woman would keep her volatile temper in check. "The Dai Li are the best the Earth Kingdom has to offer. They will find her."

"They had better!" Zuko whirled on his heel and stalked from the room. "I will be in my quarters."

The Earth King looked down at Toph. "Is there any new information?" he asked.

"No, my liege." The general's hands tightened just a fraction. "There's not a sign of her anywhere in the palace. The soldiers are searching the Inner Circle, and the Dai Li are handling the Outer Circle. They're sure to find something soon."

"They had better." The king looked grim. "I'm sure you appreciate the gravity of this situation, General Bei Fong. As unstable as things are right now, the last thing we need is open hostility from the Fire Nation!"

"Yes, my lord." Toph's lips clenched, and Katara saw her face twist. Her own stomach was tying itself in knots – she could only imagine how Toph must feel! "I won't rest until she's found, my lord."

"See that you don't." The king's eyes flicked to Katara. "Do you have anything to add here, Ambassador Katara?"

"No, my lord," Katara said softly. "I don't."

He sighed, turning away. "Go, General. Find her."

"My lord." Toph bowed her head, rose to her feet, and left. Katara had to run to keep up with her. As she caught up, she saw Toph scowling. "Threatening war," she spat. "Arrogant, overbearing jerk…I don't care if he _is _Fire Lord now! What does he think, that I can snap my fingers and make his wife appear out of thin air?"

"He's just scared, Toph," Katara said. "He's feeling helpless, and he's worried Mai will get hurt. And he has a little girl back home! - Let's just get to work and find her."

Toph jerked her head in assent. Her frown didn't soften any, but she didn't refer to the subject again. "Let's go see if the Dai Li have found anything yet."


	13. Waking

The first thing Mai knew was pain.

Her head throbbed with it, her blood pulsing in her temples. It felt a bit like a hangover, except that it was about a hundred times more painful. Her stomach ached as well. Gritting her teeth, Mai let out a low groan. _Spirits, just how much did I have to drink last night? _She tried to move, but found herself restrained. Groggily, the Fire Lady opened her eyes.

It was dark – as black as pitch. Blinking, Mai looked around – the only light she could see was a faint, yellowish glow coming from somewhere beside her. She was lying on something hard. Pain shot through her skull as she tried to move; gritting her teeth, she lay still. Her eyes closed again as she fought to orient herself. _Where am I? _

Flashes of memory started to return. She remembered slinking through darkened streets, her cloak pulled up about her face. She remembered the taste of warm sake, slightly bitter on her tongue. Faces…eyes…laughter…

"_Azula!" _Heedless of the pain, Mai sat bolt upright. Chains rattled. In a panic, she groped at her own wrists, and found them bound with manacles. Another chain was fastened to her left ankle. _Where am I? Oh, Agni, what has Azula done to me? _Visions of her daughter rose before her eyes as her heart pounded. _Zulie - !_

She still couldn't see. Gasping in fear, Mai looked toward the yellowish glow; it looked like torchlight leaking in under a door. Carefully, she groped around with her hands. The wall behind her was solid stone; the slab underneath her, as well. The chain on her ankle was fastened to a stout ring that was sunk into the floor. Metal rattled as she tried to pull it loose, to no avail.

_Footsteps! _Mai's heart almost stopped. She waited. The light grew brighter – then a door flew open, and she was blinded! The flood of light sent red-hot needles stabbing through her throbbing head. With a cry, she threw her arm up to shield her eyes.

"Good morning, Mai." Azula's voice was full of humor. "Sleep well?"

"Azula!" The Fire Lady struggled to make out the former princess with her streaming eyes. "What have you done?"

"Kidnapped you, of course. My goodness, but you're slow."

Azula was standing over her, smiling, her hand outstretched. In the palm hovered a ball of white flame. It took Mai a moment or two to make sense of this – then her eyes widened in shock. "You're…you're firebending…" Her mind reeled. "How did you…how could that…"

"How can I be firebending?" The princess raised a brow, then clenched her fist – the flame extinguished. A jet of blue fire replaced it. "Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" She chuckled a little. "I didn't come down for small talk, old friend. I just wanted to make sure you were nicely settled in your new home."

"How thoughtful." The Fire Lady glowered.

"I know. Wasn't it?" The young woman favored her with a singularly malicious smile. "By the way, it was rather unkind of you to lie to me, Mai. Are you ashamed of your little Zulie?" She laughed at the look of horror that her prisoner couldn't restrain. "I hear she's the spitting image of her auntie, too. I'm looking forward to meeting her."

"Don't you dare_ touch her!" _Mai leaped to her feet, snarling. Smiling, Azula touched her prisoner on the shoulder. A jolt of electricity shot through Mai's body! Gasping, she dropped, unable to control her own limbs. "_Nngh!"_

"Restrain yourself, Fire Lady Mai. At least try to act like the well-bred young woman you're supposed to be." Azula's golden eyes glinted as she watched the captive flounder. "I came down to get something from you," she said sweetly. "See, we have certain personal articles of yours. Those are about to be sent to my dear older brother to let him know who has you. But we need something to prove to him that you might actually still be alive." She set a small scroll, a jar of ink and a calligraphy brush down in front of Mai. "You're going to write him a letter."

"Go to hell!" the Fire Lady snarled.

Anger flickered in Azula's eyes. She crouched abruptly down to Mai's level, her mouth setting in a thin line. "You would do well to remember who I am," she said coldly. "I can accomplish what I want to with or without your being alive, you know. It's up to you. Do you want your little Zulie to have a mother, or not?" Mai glowered, but closed her lips tightly and nodded. "Good. Write the note."

With shaking hands, Mai opened the bottle. "Fine. What do you want it to say?" she muttered.

"Something simple. Write what I tell you." Azula waited until Mai had dipped the brush and wiped off the excess ink. "Zuko, the Earth Kingdom Freedom Fighters have me. I'm alive and unharmed." The Fire Lady quietly wrote the words. "Now, write something to the effect that you're pleading with him to meet our demands." Mai set her teeth, but did as she was told. "Perfect. Thank you, Mai. Sign it." Tight-lipped, the captive added her signature, then tossed the brush aside angrily.

Without comment, Azula took the note and slipped it into her pocket. Mai glowered as she watched the former princess gather up the writing tools. "Thank you for your cooperation, old friend," Azula said sweetly. "Pleasant dreams." She paused at the door of the cell to smile; the captive bared her teeth. The door closed, and Mai was plunged back into the darkness.


	14. Ransom

Toph and Katara stood on the outer wall of the palace, overlooking the city. They had come here to be alone, far from prying eyes and ears; Toph had told the waterbender that they needed to talk.

The Water Tribe woman looked out over Ba Sing Se. It stretched to the horizon in every direction, like a massive ocean of people and buildings. The thought of trying to find one woman in all this made her heart sink. "We have to find her, Toph," she whispered. "We have to find her!"

The earthbender didn't speak right away. She stayed where she was, hands clasped behind her back, seemingly lost in thought. "Katara," she said at last, "I need to warn you about something." She paused. "I have reason to believe that the Dai Li can't be completely trusted. We don't have proof, you understand, but certain…things…make it appear as though they might be playing a deeper game."

Katara stared at her. "You don't think the Dai Li had a hand in Mai's disappearance, do you?" she asked, her voice low.

"Impossible to say, at this point." Toph looked grim. "It's just something to keep in mind, Katara. Be very careful what you say to whom. If the Dai Li are in on this, the stakes will be very high, and it will be dangerous." Her cloudy eyes turned in Katara's direction. "Be careful. All right?"

Soberly, the waterbender nodded. "I will, Toph. I promise."

"General! General Bei Fong!" Katara turned from her friend to see Chenglai approaching at a rapid pace. "The Dai Li have found something, General."

"What?" Toph turned to face him, her shoulders squared.

In answer, he held up a leather packet. "This was found outside the castle gates a few minutes ago. It's addressed to Fire Lord Zuko."

Toph took it, frowning, and thrust it at Katara. "Look in it for me, Sergeant."

Uncertainly, Katara untied the cord that held the packet closed. The first thing she pulled out was a flame-shaped piece of gold. "It's…I think it's Mai's hairpin," she said softly. "…Yes, it is."

"_Damn it_." Toph's voice was low, almost a whisper.

With shaking hands, Katara fumbled in the package again, and withdrew a gold necklace. "More jewelry." She set it and the hairpin down on the rampart in front of her. "I think they just stripped her of all of it and threw it in here." She fished out three gold bracelets that she remembered seeing on Mai's slender wrists the day before, and added them to the pile. "…Oh, here's a note." And she withdrew a neatly rolled piece of rice paper.

"What does it say?" Toph asked. In the background, Katara could see Chenglai leaning forward with interest.

Slowly, she unfolded the note and looked at it. She could feel her insides clenching. "It looks like Mai wrote it," she said. "It says the Earth Kingdom Freedom Fighters have her and they haven't hurt her yet."

"_Freedom Fighters - !" _Toph spat in disgust. "They have some nerve…" She stopped, clenching her fists. "Is that all it says?"

"No. She also asks Zuko to give the insurgents whatever ransom they're demanding. That's it." Katara felt her fingers tremble. She had never known Mai very well, and she hadn't particularly liked her. But no one deserved something like this! She felt a rush of pity, and wondered what Zuko must be feeling. Slowly, she looked up at Toph. "Zuko won't like this," she said softly.

The earthbender's face was hard. "Chenglai, keep your men going. Find out where they've taken Fire Lady Mai!" He bowed – a moment later, he had vanished into the shadows. Toph turned to Katara. Her voice lowered. "Let's go, Katara. We'll tell the Earth King, and figure out what to do from here." Toph stopped just before they entered the palace to send a soldier to find Guiren; then the two women headed for the throne room.

Katara noted with some relief that Zuko was not in the room. _Good. At least that will give us some time to figure out how we're going to tell him…although he probably suspects the truth already. All of us did. _The Earth King heard Toph's news gravely, and studied the note that she gave him. He raised his eyes to hers. "And the Dai Li have found nothing?"

Toph shook her head. "Nothing more than this packet, my lord," she said. Katara could hear the impatience in her voice.

He looked grim. "If the insurgents have managed to remove Fire Lady Mai from the city," he said, "things may go very sour between our kingdom and the Fire Nation." Toph nodded wordlessly. Katara's mouth felt dry. "Fire Lord Zuko will have to be informed of this new development," the king said. His eyes moved to Katara. "You are a diplomat, Ambassador Katara. Will you break the news to him? General Bei Fong and I need to discuss some things."

Surprise widened Katara's eyes. Then, as the implications of the question sank in, she inhaled sharply. Her relationship with Zuko had always been a bit rocky, and nothing had changed since the war had ended. They had settled into a business relationship based on mutual respect, but there was still that underlying current of tension. Were her skills in diplomacy up to such a task? She inclined her head. "Yes, your majesty." She turned, shot one last glance at Toph, and headed for the wing of the palace where the Fire Lord was quartered.

She hesitated in the hall outside his quarters, oblivious to the suspicious glances cast her way by his guards. How angry would he be, she wondered? She wasn't so sure that her diplomatic words would be much use in the face of a furious firebender. She rested a hand on the water skin that hung by her side, resisting an impulse to pull the cork. With a deep breath, she calmly explained her errand to the guards, and knocked on the door. A terse voice from inside told her to enter. Katara obeyed.

Zuko was standing with his back to the door, staring out his window at the courtyard below. Slowly, Katara closed the door behind her, and stood uncertainly. His head turned, his eyes found her; she couldn't read them. "Katara."

His tone wasn't that of the Fire Lord – it was that of Zuko. It was the way he had said her name when they had been mere children, sitting around the campfire, plotting to overthrow a Fire Nation drunk on its own power. She was surprised, but found herself responding in kind, almost without thought. "Zuko."

There was a pause. He turned to face her after a few seconds. He looked tired; his face was drawn. "There's news."

It wasn't a question. Katara had a feeling he already knew what she was about to tell him. Pity softened her heart. "Yes," she said softly. All the carefully crafted phrases she had been formulating spilled away. "We've found a ransom note, Zuko. Mai's been taken by the insurgents."

The Fire Lord's face was still inscrutable. He nodded, but said nothing. There was another pause. "What are their demands?" he asked finally.

Katara shook her head. She could feel her hands trembling. "We don't know yet," she said. "They just sent the letter saying they have her. They included some of Mai's jewelry."

He winced at the mention of his wife's name. "Find her," he said at last, his voice soft and low, but full of some indefinable emotion that made Katara shiver. "Find her, Katara!"

Her heart ached. She longed to heal him, to make his pain go away – but this was nothing that her waterbending could solve. She looked him in the eye. "We will, Zuko," she promised. "We'll bring her back to you unharmed!"

Zuko nodded, then turned away from her, resuming his silent vigil at the window. Katara felt the wordless dismissal, and slipped from the room, leaving the Fire Lord alone with his thoughts.


	15. An Unexpected Reunion

Mai's lips pursed coldly as a guard entered her cell. He was dressed in ragged garments, obviously a mere peasant. Her nose wrinkled at his smell."Your dinner, Fire Lady." The man grinned at the prisoner, setting a wooden plate of plain rice down in front of Mai. "We're fresh out of whitefish and wasabi!" Mai favored him with an icy glare, and he laughed as he left. There was darkness.

She waited until his footsteps had faded into silence. Then, slowly, she pulled the knife from her sleeve – the knife she had lifted off the guard without his even noticing. Her lips twitched into a smirk. _Child's play. Azula must be slipping, if that buffoon is the best man she could find to guard me!_ She felt for the lock on her manacles and slid the sharp tip of the dagger into it. A few skilled twists, and the cuffs released. In a moment, the chain on her ankle also fell free. Cautiously, she made her way to the door, and felt around for the handle.

As she had hoped, it wasn't a proper cell door. From what she could feel, the knob and locking mechanism were absurdly flimsy. _I could probably just kick the damn door down, but there's no sense making a bigger racket than I need to. _Mai inserted her weapon into the lock and began to fiddle with it. There was a satisfying _click_ as the tumblers gave. Slowly, cautiously, Mai swung the door open, the blade held at readiness – she heard nothing, saw no movement.

The hall wasn't much brighter than her cell had been, lit by a single torch that flickered in an alcove farther up the hall. Mai could see move light coming from farther on in that direction. She moved toward it with silent steps.

_Something connected with her back – hard._

Mai suddenly couldn't feel her body at all! She uttered a cry of shock as she crumpled to the floor, as limp as a rag doll. Gasping, she lay there, feeling the cold floor under her cheek. As shocked as she was, her mind slowly came back to life. _Only one person in all the four kingdoms could have done this to me. _Her lips moved. "Ty…Lee?"

"Hey, Mai." The voice was cheerful. "Going somewhere?" Mai was rolled gently onto her back. She stared up into a face she remembered all too well.

It was a woman who stared down at her, with impossibly huge gray eyes and a round face. Her brown hair was shorter than it once had been; it was wound into a long braid that dangled freely as she looked down at Mai. She wore Earth Kingdom clothing, rather than the circus clothes that Mai remembered her in, but she could be no one else. This was Ty Lee, Mai's former associate and friend. "Ty Lee," she whispered, dazed. "You…you told me you'd gone back to the circus…"

"Yeah." The girl made a face, then smiled. "That was 'Zula's idea. She figured you weren't ready to go back to her then." She reached down and picked Mai up with very little effort. "C'mon, let's put you back where you belong, 'kay?"

The Fire Lady couldn't quite tell how she felt. _Betrayed. Shocked. Hurt._

_Furious._

Ty Lee laid her down on her hard bed. She turned to examine the door; Mai heard her _tsk_ over the broken lock. "It's a good thing 'Zula had me guard you," she said. "I _told_ her this little thing would never hold you!" She looked at Mai and smiled. "We've got some cages the Dai Li loaned us, though. Those would probably work…" She paused thoughtfully, then seemed to abandon the subject. She flopped down beside Mai on the floor, grinning. "It's been years, Mai! I haven't talked to you in for_ever. _How've you been?"

In absolute disgust, Mai looked at her. "Never better," she said coldly.

"Aww, come on Mai, don't be like that!" Ty Lee smiled – a dazzling, almost impossibly big smile. "It's like old times. Just you and me, talking…"

A feeling of exasperation came over the prisoner. It was a strangely familiar feeling. Come to think of it, it was a feeling she'd often had when talking to Ty Lee. "Let me get this straight. You and Azula kidnap me and throw me in prison. I'm probably going to die because of it. And now you just want to chat?"

"You won't get killed," Ty Lee chirped, as if this was the biggest joke she'd heard in a week. "We're just keeping you until Zuko does something stupid!"

Mai blinked. "Excuse me?"

The acrobat nodded cheerfully. "Yep! 'Zula figures her brother's temper will make him declare war on the Earth Kingdom. When he does, the kingdom will destabilize enough for us to take over the major cities." She beamed. "The throne's only a small step from there!"

This didn't really come as a surprise, now that Mai thought about it. (She had, after all, been raised by a politician, and steeped in politics from the day of her birth.) If Azula had no chance at the throne of the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom was the next logical choice. Since the end of the war, the Earth Kingdom had been very unstable. It would be both the easiest throne to take, and the most worthwhile – next to the Fire Nation, of course. What _did_ come as a mild surprise was that Azula had managed to gain the trust of Earth Kingdom subjects. _Her manipulation skills must have improved. I wouldn't have thought that was even possible…_ "Azula underestimates her brother," was all she said.

Ty Lee giggled. "Oh, Mai, you sound like an old woman. You'll never catch a man's attention that way…"

At this point, Mai lost her patience. "Ty Lee, I'm not interested in childish conversations about your latest crushes," she snapped. "I'm your prisoner. You've betrayed and attacked me – fine. Now leave me alone." She could feel the life beginning to tingle back into her numbed body. It hurt.

The acrobat's dazzling smile disappeared. She looked a little hurt. "I haven't betrayed you, Mai, and I haven't hurt you. And I told you, Azula won't hurt you, either. She'd probably even let you join up with us, if you asked her."

"Join _up_ _with you?_" Mai was incredulous. "Ty Lee, I'm the _Fire Lady. _I'm the mother of the Fire Lord's daughter!"

"So?" Ty Lee shrugged. "This is Azula, Mai. She's the incarnation of Agni. It's only a matter of time before she takes back what's rightfully hers. The only betrayal I regret is the one where I betrayed _her. _And I believe in playing for the winning team."

The words went home, and Mai felt hurt and anger tear at her. When she had turned on Azula in order to save Zuko, Azula had been about to kill her. Ty Lee had intervened, striking the princess's pressure points to take her down. For that, both she and Ty Lee had spent six months in prison. They would probably have rotted there for the rest of their lives, had the Avatar not overcome Fire Lord Ozai. They had been released from jail when Zuko had ascended to the throne, and had their titles reinstated. Mai had married the Fire Lord shortly thereafter.

"I see," Mai said, her voice crusted with ice. "So you regret saving my life, now?"

Ty Lee shifted uncomfortably. "Not exactly," she said. "I don't regret saving you. I'd never regret saving you! But I do regret turning on Azula."

"I'm done talking to you." The Fire Lady turned her face away, her cheeks flushed with anger. She could definitely feel her limbs, now. She tried to move her arm, and felt her fingers twitch.

She felt Ty Lee rise, and heard the rattle of chains. A moment later, the cold cuffs fastened around her wrists again. The Fire Lady closed her eyes bitterly as she felt the chain encircle her ankle. "Okay, then," the acrobat said quietly, when this was done. "I'll see you later." Mai watched her move from the cell, then pause on the threshold. "She won't hurt you, Mai."

"She's already hurt me, Ty Lee." Mai's eyes were hard.

With a sigh, the acrobat left, shutting the door behind her.


	16. Revelation

Katara slipped quietly through the streets of the Outer Circle of Ba Sing Se, her eyes and ears wide open.

She was alone, and dressed in the simple garb of an Earth Kingdom peasant. She slid through the crowds in silence, thinking back to her conversation with the Earth King and Toph.

_"General Bei Fong tells me that you are aware that we cannot completely trust the Dai Li," the king had said, looking grave. "She also tells me that I can completely rely on your trustworthiness and discretion."_

_Katara had bowed. "I am at your service, your majesty."_

_Toph had spoken then. "Katara, we need you to go down to the Outer Circle and do some spy work for us," she said. "I know it's not exactly your forte, but you're the only one I can think of who we can trust with this, and who can be spared duties here."_

_This had given Katara pause. "Uh…I'm not so sure that spying would be my strong suit. I mean, you can tell I'm Water Tribe from a hundred yards away…"_

"_That's all right," Toph had reassured her. "The Earth Kingdom is very diverse, and Ba Sing Se especially. No one will look twice at a Water Tribe girl. A lot of your people fled here when the Fire Nation attacked the South Pole, you know."_

It was true, too. Katara had seen several dark-skinned faces amongst the crowds as she had aimlessly wandered through them. Her legs ached; she ducked into an alley to rest for a bit. Crouching down, she leaned against a wall and thought back over her day. She had spent hours in pubs, restaurants and watering holes, simply listening in on conversations. She'd heard about marital affairs, the latest fashions in robes, out-of-wedlock pregnancies, the price of rice shipments, and the stories of at _least _four bosses from Hell. As fascinating as this all was, Katara was pretty sure that none of it would be the least bit helpful in tracking down the missing Fire Lady. She sighed deeply. _If there was only a way to figure out who was having the important conversations! Like, if every insurgent would wear a pink armband, or something…_

With another sigh, the waterbender rose to her feet and moved out of the alley, back into the slipstream of people flowing past it. Her blue eyes watched the storefronts as she walked, searching for another likely place to listen.

Suddenly Katara stopped, her head snapping to one side. She was absolutely sure that she had seen a familiar face. Her eyes found a green-cloaked figure slipping into a nearby alleyway. Quick as thought, Katara followed. _Whose face had that been? _she wondered, her brow furrowing. _A woman's face, and she was sure she had seen it before. It had been a while ago, and somewhere else, in very different circumstances. A round little face, with a sharp chin and gigantic eyes. Whose was it?_

The indistinct figure was moving at great speed through the labyrinth of alleyways and back streets. Katara was hard-pressed to keep up. _Thank the spirits I've been so active the last little while, _she thought. _Whoever this woman is, she's incredibly fast! _Just then, as Katara watched in astonishment, the figure sprang into the air, clearing an impossible distance. With two more quick jumps, the mystery woman was on the rooftops!

Still running, Katara uncorked her water skin and bended the contents under her own feet, lifting herself up after her quarry. She spotted the green-cloaked woman to her right, still running and springing with effortless speed and grace. The Water Tribe woman pursued, still trying to remember where she knew that face from. _Blast it all! Who in hell are you? I _know _that I know you!_

Abruptly, the mystery woman sprang from the top of a roof! Two seconds later, Katara stoop at the edge from which she had leaped.

The woman was gone.

Katara blinked, looking around. _Impossible! There's nowhere to hide! _

She was looking down on the ruins of what had once been a warehouse. None of the charred, broken walls was higher than two feet, and there was no debris behind which the woman could be hiding. Katara stood in bewilderment, her eyes moving slowly over the landscape, but it was no use. Whoever she was, the woman was gone.

Slowly, Katara sat down on the rooftop to think. Her eyes still searched the ground beneath as she did. _Even at the rate of speed that woman was moving, she couldn't have had time to vanish like that. There must be something down there. What I should do is bring an earthbender here, and see whether I'm right. _She rubbed her chin. _I wonder if Toph would come down and do that for me? Or maybe she'd just say I was nuts to chase some random woman over half of Ba Sing Se, and tell me to get back to work. _Katara sighed. _If I could only remember who that woman was…well, anyway. I guess I better get back to listening in on conversations. If I'm ever going to find out where Mai…_

Mai.

Suddenly the pieces clicked together. A memory flashed across Katara's mind – a memory of herself and Toph and Aang and Sokka, all fighting for their lives against a trio of death-dealing Fire Nation girls. There was Mai, cold and efficient, slinging her kunai knives with deadly accuracy. There was Azula, laughing in her blood lust, her palms spewing electric blue fire. And there was Ty Lee – the psychotic, cheerful acrobat, springing with effortless grace and dropping her enemies with the merest touch.

Katara's eyes widened. "Ty Lee!" she gasped out loud. "That was _Ty Lee!"_

This changed _everything. _Katara put her hand over her mouth and thought furiously. Mai and Ty Lee had always been friendly with each other. What if Mai _hadn't _been kidnapped? What if she and Ty Lee had somehow orchestrated this..this charade? But why would they do something like that? This could even usher in another great war!

…Unless that was the point. Katara's eyes narrowed. Did they _want_ another war with the Earth Kingdom? Was the Fire Nation trying to restart the war, add to their empire? She thought of Zuko, of the pain in his eyes when she had gone to talk to him the day before. Her lips tightened. _If he was lying to me, I swear I am going to kick his ass. I don't care if he is the Fire Lord!_

Katara shook herself. _Enough of this. I need to beat feet back to the palace and tell Toph about this! _She rose to her feet and darted toward the train station, taking the short cut across the rooftops.


	17. Idle Chatter

Mai sat cross-legged on her hard bed, her eyes closed, her chained hands in her lap. She was deep in meditation – to the point where she was almost completely unaware of her own body. Her breaths were deep and even and rhythmic.

When perfect peace and control had consumed her, Mai deliberately turned her thoughts to her predicament. _The cell. The chains. Ty Lee. Azula. _Her heart rate increased a little; she breathed carefully until it resumed its former pace. When her mind again was pure, Mai considered her imprisonment again.

_Where am I? _She considered the question. _I know I must be underground. I don't think that Azula took me out of Ba Sing Se; I must be imprisoned in the city somewhere. _She inhaled slowly, exhaled just as slowly. _If we're still in the city, I can find my way back to the palace if I can just get above ground._ Breathe in, breathe out. _So how do I get past Ty Lee?_

That was the question. Ty Lee was a formidable opponent. And it was pretty obvious that the acrobat was still in top form, while Mai was sadly out of shape. _I can't take her out in a straight battle. She's far too quick and agile for me to take her down. No – if I'm going to get past Ty Lee, it will have to be because she lets me go._ Inhale – wait – exhale. _So what motivates Ty Lee? She worships Azula. She even thinks Azula's a goddess. She said something about wanting to be on the "winning team." _Breathe in, breathe out. _I don't think I can use either of those facts to my advantage. But I know that Ty Lee does care about me, and she's not heartless. I might have to use the (ugh) sappy angle. _Slow breath. _Damn it! I wish I were better at these things. I'm not manipulative enough to be calculating, and not mushy enough to be sappy! – Easy, easy – losing the peace. Breathe, Mai. _Inhale, exhale. _Damn it._

It was too late. The thought had broken the tranquility Mai had worked so hard to achieve. Close on its heels came the thought of her beautiful little Zulie – barely six years old, a little beauty with black hair and amber eyes. Mai felt a pang of anguished pride. She was not a religious woman, but she found herself whispering a prayer to the spirits. "Don't let me die here. Don't let my child grow up without her mother!" She buried her head in her manacled hands.

The door suddenly swung open! Looking up, Mai found herself looking into the cheerfully smiling face of Ty Lee. "Hey, Mai!" the woman said brightly. "I've brought you some supper." She gracefully sat down beside the brooding prisoner and set a steaming plate on Mai's lap. The Fire Lady looked, and saw to her surprise that the dish was a Fire Nation one, rich and spicy. She looked back at Ty Lee, who grinned. "Nice, huh? Better than that tasteless, greasy Earth Kingdom stuff."

Mai regarded her silently for a moment, and then began to eat. The food was savory, the spicy flavor spreading over her tongue. She wondered if Ty Lee had brought it as a sort of apology. The acrobat leaned back against the wall of the cell, her arms folded across her chest, still smiling. Her feet twitched and wriggled every now and then. _Ty Lee never could sit still, _Mai thought, a little amused in spite of herself.

When Mai had eaten, she set the empty dish back in her lap. Ty Lee looked at her with wide, innocent eyes. "I went and got it for you myself. D'you forgive me, now?" she asked plaintively.

"For what?" Mai asked, her voice dry. "Taking me prisoner? Taking me down in the hall when I could have escaped? Siding with Azula against my nation? Betraying me? Or for lying to me about the circus?"

"All of it." Ty Lee looked at her uncertainly, with a little gleam of hope. "Would it help if I said I was sorry for lying to you?"

Mai felt an urge to ht her. She suppressed it with difficulty, inhaling deeply. _If I'm going to appeal to her humanity, I suppose shouldn't kill her. _"I don't forgive you," she said quietly, "but thank you, anyway."

"Will you at least talk to me, then?" Ty Lee asked.

The Fire Lady rolled her eyes. "I _am_ talking to you, nitwit."

"You know what I mean." Ty Lee scowled, her small nose wrinkling. "I mean, will you _talk _to me?"

"Fine." Mai took the plate off her lap and put it down on the floor. "You want to talk, Ty Lee? Go ahead."

The acrobat bit her lips, and her face turned red. "You're angry."

"Of course I'm angry!"

"I didn't have a choice!"

"Ostrich-horse shit."

"It's true!" Ty Lee insisted. "Mai, you have to know it's true. We've never had a choice when it came to Azula – never. Did I have a choice when she came to get me from the circus? Did you have a choice when she came to get _you? _She came to me, Mai, and I went. There was never another option."

Mai's face was set like flint. "She was exiled and beaten, Ty Lee. You could have come to me, or to Zuko. We would have helped you."

Ty Lee's face was sober, her enormous eyes grave. "Mai," she said softly, "I think you know better than that. She might have lost the war, she might have been exiled, but she was never, ever beaten. She has allies. She has servants. She has slaves. She's Azula, the incar –"

"I swear to you, Ty Lee, if you call her the avatar of Agni one more time, I'm going to hit you." Mai's voice was sharp.

The acrobat sighed. "Okay, Mai. But my point stands. She could quite easily have had me killed if I'd said no…or worse."

"You give her too much credit," the Fire Lady said coldly, although she had the disquieting feeling that Ty Lee was right. "She hasn't been allowed to set her foot in the Fire Nation for years, and she won't be, either. She lost, Ty Lee. She lost, whether she can accept it or not."

Ty Lee smiled. It wasn't her usual cheerful grin; it was a small, sad, knowing smile. "I know you know that I'm right," she said. "She's got a thousand contacts. She still knows everything that happens in the palace, you know. She knew when your daughter was born. She knows _everything. _And now she's going to take the throne of the Earth Kingdom, just before she takes back the throne of the Fire Nation."

"Zuko has control of the Fire Nation," Mai retorted. "_He_ commands the armies; _he_ makes the laws; _he_ is the Fire Lord."

"Does he?" Ty Lee murmured. "Does he really? Are you so sure?" Mai stared at her until she shrugged and looked away. "Well, believe that if you want, Mai. If it makes you feel better about things."

Mai was angry again. "The fact that Azula has somehow managed to gain control of a little group of terrorists doesn't make her a queen."

"A little group of terrorists?" Ty Lee gave her a significant look, almost pitying. It reminded Mai disquietingly of an expression that Azula used to wear. "You really don't know anything about all this, do you? I would have thought your intelligence networks would be better than that."

_What was she going on about? _Mai searched the young woman's face, wondering how much of what she said could be believed. "What do you mean? Are you suggesting you have more than a few hundred ragtag rebels?"

At this, Ty Lee laughed. "A few hundred -?" She giggled. "Oh, never mind. You'll find out soon enough, I think." She picked up the empty plate and rose to her feet. "I have to go, Mai. 'Zula has some work for me tonight, and I can't keep her waiting."

"Well, it's been swell talking to you," Mai said acidly. Ignoring the sarcasm, Ty Lee flashed her a wide smile and waved cheerfully; the door closed.

The Fire Lady turned over what Ty Lee had said in her mind. Did Azula have access to more than just a small group of terrorists? Or was Ty Lee just playing mind games with her? She bit her lip. _Ty Lee doesn't play mind games. She's weak-willed and easily manipulated, but she doesn't manipulate other people. _Mai groaned softly. _So the Fire Nation is in danger…_Zuko _is in danger. _Her breath grew ragged, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

_Oh, Zuko, I wish you were here!_


	18. Conference

Katara listened quietly as Toph and Chenglai argued.

The moment she had returned from her mission, she had gone to Toph and told her what she had seen. The earthbender had immediately seen the significance of it, and had gone straight to the Earth King, who had called an emergency meeting of the leaders of Ba Sing Se.

Toph brought her fist down on the table angrily. "We need to _act!" _she snarled. "If this warehouse is where Ty Lee and whoever she's conspiring with are, we need to get in there and _catch _them, before they catch on that we know something! If we wait, someone will tip them a wink and we'll be digging through a damned empty building!"

"Just like a bullheaded soldier," Chenglai snapped. "We can't just throw troops at every single problem! I say we send in my men, and find out exactly what we're dealing with. If it's a pocket of insurgents, then we can send in soldiers to take them out."

As Toph and Guiren began to retort, the Earth King raised his hand for silence. The argument ceased, although Katara noted that Toph's face was very red. "We have to consider," the king said calmly, "that this may have nothing to do with the insurgents at all. If in fact this Ty Lee and Fire Lady Mai are working together, they may be doing so for their own reasons; the insurgency may merely have provided a plausible cover."

Chenglai nodded. "Exactly, your majesty. I believe we need more information before we can act. If it is simply a few people, we needn't devote many soldiers to it. If it's a rebel hideout, we can find out how many men we need. But we must have more information!" He spread out his hands. "Let me send my agents to investigate this." Toph made a strangled noise.

The Earth King, ignoring Chenglai for the moment, looked at Katara. "You've been very quiet during all this, Ambassador Katara. Do you have anything to add?"

The waterbender started, pulled from her thoughts by the words. She hesitated, her eyes on the tabletop between her hands. "Well, I was just thinking," she faltered. "If…if Mai and Ty Lee are together right now…I just have to wonder where Azula is."

There was a stunned silence. "Spirits," Toph whispered, after the shocked silence had gone on for a minute or two. "That…that would make sense…Azula would want to restart the Hundred Year War, after all…"

"This is all idle conjecture," Chenglai said coldly. "It won't help us accomplish anything." His eyes were dark. Katara looked at him in irritation. "I think we wander rather far from the point. If this warehouse is important at all in finding the Fire Lady, we should go and investigate it immediately."

Thoughtfully, the Earth King looked at him. "Very well, Chenglai," he said. "Go at once and send your best men to find out all they can about this abandoned warehouse." The Dai Li leader rose, bowed to the king, and vanished with a swish of his robe.

There was a pause. Then Toph leaned forward, scowling. "Your majesty, I appreciate that we don't know much about this warehouse, but Chenglai and the Dai Li are –"

"I am aware that you don't trust the Dai Li, General Bei Fong." The Earth King's voice was calm. "I don't entirely rely on them myself. However, I don't think they would side with insurgents against the Earth Kingdom, and they certainly wouldn't aid in the kidnapping of the Fire Lady, a move that would endanger Ba Sing Se. They do what is best for the Dai Li, after all."

"With all due respect, my liege, the Dai Li have already betrayed Ba Sing Se into enemy hands once this decade. I don't see why they would hesitate to do it again now, if they thought it would somehow benefit them." Toph's voice was sharp. "They claim they saw nothing, heard nothing, and know nothing of Lady Mai's whereabouts; I don't believe a word of it. And I don't think you do, either!"

"It does seem unlikely," the king conceded.

Guiren looked at Katara. "Do you really think the exiled Fire Princess might be involved in all this, Sergeant?" he asked curiously.

Katara shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "I don't know anything about it," she said quietly. "It was just a thought – what with Mai and Ty Lee being in the same area, and possibly in cahoots. It's probably nothing."

Toph looked at her doubtfully. "It better be nothing," she said grimly. "I'm not afraid of anybody – but I don't want to have to deal with her!"

"We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it." The Earth King waved aside the discussion. "General Bei Fong, have the troops prepared, in case Chenglai's men find a pocket of insurgents. You are all dismissed." The two soldiers rose from the table, bowed, and headed for the door.

Katara followed. As they made their way down to the barracks, she couldn't help but remember the wicked face of Azula, and hear her mocking laughter. She shivered. _Toph said she wasn't afraid of her, _she thought. She remembered how rabidly the princess had fought in the Battle of Sozin's Comet – how she had raged like a young dragon, taking down hundreds of enemy fighters before finally being captured. She remembered the casual cruelty Azula had always shown – the horrible scars on Suki's body when she had been rescued from prison, and the stories of torture that had fallen from the Kyoshi warrior's trembling lips. Katara shuddered. _Toph might not be afraid of her._

_But I am._


	19. By Night

There were voices. Mai woke, blinking groggily as she raised her head. She could hear footsteps in the hall outside her cell. _What…_ Then the door flung open, and light flooded her prison! She threw her arm up to shield her face, grunting in pain as the light pierced her eyes. A moment later, heavy hands fell on her, dragging her up from her bed. She resisted, protesting.

"Sorry about this, Mai," came Ty Lee's soft voice, and something struck Mai between the shoulder blades. Instantly her body went limp! She gasped. "Blind her, and let's go. Move! You heard Commander Azula!" A sack was pulled over Mai's head. _Darkness. _She was dragged bodily from her prison.

For some time, there was confusion. Mai felt a cool breeze against her neck, and realized they must be outside; then she was bundled into a small space, and heard the metallic clang as a door was shut on her. "Be quiet," warned a man's voice. "We're not to kill you, Fire Lady, but we can make you wish we would if you make a sound!" Mai seethed, but stayed silent.

Her prison was bumped and jostled for some time – nearly an hour, she thought. The life slowly tingled back into her limbs as she lay there. She surreptitiously examined her prison with her fingertips, and found that she was in a metal cage with wide slats. She wondered how the cage was being transported. Mai considered pulling the hood from her eyes, then thought better of it; she wasn't sure if Ty Lee was still there, and she didn't know what these men might do. She ground her teeth, wishing she had her knives.

"In here," someone whispered. The change of air told Mai that they were back inside. She heard a low rumble; then their progress resumed. Sounds grew muffled. _We must be back underground somewhere, _she thought.

At last, they stopped. "Put the cage in the cell," came Ty Lee's voice. "The commander ordered her left in it." There was some shuffling, and Mai's prison was set down. "Good. Now get back and help set up the surprise! We wouldn't want to disappoint all those soldiers, now would we?" Mai heard Ty Lee giggle. The tramp of booted feet faded into the distance. A moment later, the hood was taken from Mai's head. Blinking, the prisoner looked around.

Through the slats of her cage, Mai could see that she was in a tiny room, barely large enough to contain her prison and the young woman who stood outside it. It wasn't even a true room; it was more like a short shaft sunk into solid stone. The door was open, allowing light to trickle inside. She looked up at Ty Lee. "What was that all about?"

"We got a tip from our friends," the acrobat said brightly. "Seems Zuko's looking for you, Mai! Isn't that romantic?" She sighed blissfully. "It's like those old legends about the gods falling in love and being separated…"

Mai brushed her hands against the locked door of her cage. "And I have to stay in this thing now."

"Yeah." Ty Lee sounded apologetic. "Azula's orders."

"Great." The captive pushed against the bars, testing her range of movement; she couldn't sit up straight, nor could she fully straighten her limbs in any direction. With a sigh, she slouched back down on the floor of the cage. "Can I at least have a pillow or something?"

The acrobat shifted uncomfortably. "I…don't think so," she said. "I'd have to ask 'Zula. But I'm pretty sure the answer is no."

Mai looked at her in disgust. "And you wonder why I'm mad at you!"

"It's not my fault!" Ty Lee protested. "I'm a good soldier, I do what Azula says. You know that!"

"Sure, Ty Lee. Whatever helps you sleep at night." Mai rolled her eyes and turned away, wrapping her arms around herself with a shiver. _Damn it, this place is cold. Where did they take me – the Northern Water Tribe?_

"That's not fair." The acrobat's voice quivered – she sounded hurt. "I've tried to be nice to you, Mai."

"Whatever." The Fire Lady scowled, hugging herself tighter.

"Fine. _Be _that way. You can sit and sulk in here by yourself!" Ty Lee snapped. Mai's lips tightened as she heard the door slam shut; all light vanished.

With a sigh, Mai rested her head against the slats of her cage. She was tired. Squirming around, she found a somewhat comfortable position, and closed her eyes. The world faded away, and she fell into a fitful sleep.


	20. Foiled

They had reached their target.

Toph directed her earthbenders with gestures. They took their places around the perimeter of the demolished warehouse. Seeing this, Katara waved a hand at the five waterbenders they had brought; the men silently took their positions farther back. They would serve as the artillery when the battle began.

Toph gripped Katara's arm, pulling her ear close to her mouth. "We'll go in quickly," she whispered. "If we can use the element of surprise, we might be able to end this without too much bloodshed." Katara nodded. "We're going to open the tunnel. Get ready!"

Chenglai's men had returned an hour before, bringing news of a small underground hideout belonging to the insurgents. Plans had been laid quickly, and fifty earthbenders (and the five waterbenders) had been deployed. Katara's fingers shook as she pulled the cork from her water skin. She hadn't fought in a battle in seven years – her heart was pounding. _Spirits, give me strength!_

The earthbenders moved in. Toph's arm went up – there was a tense moment – and then it came down! The ground rumbled as a slab of stone moved.

_Boom! _ Suddenly, there was fire everywhere. Katara was blown off her feet, crashing heavily to the ground. Gasping, she struggled to stand again, her head spinning. Another explosion rocked the earth! She clutched her ears in agony. Flames erupted from a nearby wall; she staggered away. She could hear screams.

"Toph!" she cried, looking around frantically. "Toph!Where are you?" She was sure the earthbender had been right next to the first explosion. "_Toph!"_

A third blast! The shockwave turned her legs to jelly. Something smashed into her!

Katara came to, and found herself lying facedown on the ground. She could taste blood in her mouth, and she couldn't see out of her left eye. Gasping faintly, she tried to get up. Her body wouldn't obey her. There was fire – flames everywhere, and smoke in her lungs. She coughed, and felt her chest convulse in agony. _Am I dead? Or still dying? _Her eyes closed. She wanted nothing more than to sleep.

Then she was being turned onto her back. "Katara!" She moaned softly. Strong arms slid underneath her, lifting her up; her head rolled against an armored shoulder. The last thing she heard was the sound of another explosion.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Lie still." The words rattled around in Katara's skull, wringing a groan from her lips. She tried to sit up – pain washed over her, and she gasped. "Lie _still, _damn it!" the voice ordered, and she felt gentle pressure pushing her back down. "The healers might have finished with you, but you're still hurt. Don't be a meathead." Her eyes drifted open.

She was lying on her own bed. The room was dark, save for a single small lamp that flickered in one corner. The light hurt her eyes; she turned her face away, groaning through her teeth as pain knifed through her head. A cool hand rested on her forehead. "Hey. You awake, Sweetness?" She peered upward.

Toph was leaning over her. She was still wearing her armor, but was without her helmet; her face was smudged with soot, and her shaggy hair was sticking out in crazy spikes. Katara couldn't help but smile feebly. "Hey," she murmured.

The earthbender scowled. "You are so damned lucky you're injured," she said. "If you weren't, I would kick your ass for scaring me like that!"

Katara giggled a little. "I love you too, Toph."

A smile tugged at the corners of Toph's sensitive mouth. "You crazy waterbender," she said. "Why on earth did you just stay in the blast zone? Were you suicidal or something? Because if you were, I might have to kick your ass anyway!"

"I…was looking for you," Katara admitted. "But really, I guess I was just confused. I couldn't figure out what was going on."

Toph's face was grim. "They knew we were coming, Katara," she said quietly. "They'd cleared out the place already, and set bombs. It was a chain reaction. Once we set off the first bomb, the others exploded in sequence…" Her voice was bitter.

The waterbender closed her eyes, trying not to think about the pain that was blossoming in the back of her neck. "How many did we lose?" she whispered.

"Three," Toph muttered. "Three of my best soldiers died. And another six were hurt, not counting you." She brushed the hair back from Katara's face. "Spirits, Katara…if you'd been killed, I would never have forgiven myself!"

"I'm a soldier," the waterbender reminded her, with a wry smile. "That's what I agreed to."

"Shut up." Toph leaned down and kissed Katara's mouth. "I won't say I'd die without you, but I've kinda gotten used to having you around, Sweetness. So don't you dare go and buy the farm, you hear?"

Another giggle broke from Katara's lips. "You're not fooling anyone, Toph," she said. "I know you're a big softy."

"Hey! There's no need for insults!" Toph smiled and kissed her again. "Get some rest, Sugar Queen. You took a pretty big rock to the head, y'know. You'll probably be out of the loop for a couple of days, at least."

As tired as she was, Katara couldn't resist pouting. "Well, okay. As long as you promise to keep me posted on things. And give me more kisses!"

Toph laughed and dropped one more kiss on her lips. "That's enough, now. Sleep, you! I'll give you supper later." The waterbender smiled and closed her eyes. She felt Toph's callused fingers brushing her cheek, and sighed contentedly as she fell asleep.


	21. Ultimatums

Mai woke with a sore back and a stiff neck. She sat up as best she could in her confined space, stretching out her muscles. She winced and groaned through her teeth as the cuffs around her wrists scraped against tender skin. _Damn. Bloody prison…if I could just get my hands free and around Azula's neck -!_ It was dark, darker even than her former prison had been. Look as she might, she could find no pinpoint of light. _Agni! I'd even welcome a sunset right now._

How long she sat there, she didn't know. She shifted her weight every now and then, trying to straighten her back and stretch out her neck, but there wasn't enough space. Once or twice she tried to meditate. It wasn't very successful. Loneliness set in. _Blast it all…I think I'd even welcome Ty Lee's company, _she thought miserably. _Zulie… _Picture after picture rose in her mind of her little daughter – sleeping, eating, laughing, crying, playing. She wondered if she'd ever hold the child again, or run her fingers through her soft black hair, so like her own. Would she ever lie down with the little girl in her arms again, or listen to her sweet breathing as she slept? She could feel her eyes misting.

_Stop it! Stop it, Mai! _She rubbed at her eyes impatiently. _Don't you dare cry. Don't you dare give up! You're a survivor. Zulie, I _will_ come home for you!_

To Mai's intense annoyance, the door chose just that moment to open. She turned her head away from it in time to save her eyes from the assault of the light. "Ready for something to eat, Mai?" came Ty Lee's quiet voice. Squinting, the captive looked toward the sound. "Here, I brought you some bread and cheese. It's not so good as…" The voice stopped abruptly. "Mai, have you been _crying?"_

"No," Mai snapped. "Of course not!"

"Okay." Ty Lee didn't sound as if she believed her. The door of Mai's cage opened, and she felt a loaf and a lump of cheese being thrust under her fingers. "Here, eat. It'll make you feel better."

The captive took the food listlessly. She heard the door of her cage closing again. There was a pause; she made no move to eat. She heard Ty Lee sigh. A moment later, a soft hand was resting on her forearm. "Mai, what's wrong? Tell me."

"It's nothing you don't already know about," Mai said. "Being who and what you are, I don't think you can help me much."

"Are you missing Zuko?" Ty Lee's gray eyes glinted in the dim light like those of an owl-wombat.

"And my daughter," Mai said bitterly. "Now leave me alone!"

Ty Lee sucked in her breath and let it out. "I'm…I'm sorry, Mai." The captive was silent. "If I'd known that I'd have to go against you…" She stopped. "I'm sorry."

Mai gazed at her for a while in silence. "Ty Lee," she said finally, "you're going to have to choose sides. You can't serve Azula, and then flutter over to me and be my friend."

"But she's not going to hurt you! She promised!" the acrobat protested, wringing her hands. "And I don't want to hurt you, either. I never would! Why can't we go back to the way things were, Mai? Why do you want to be my enemy?"

The Fire Lady looked grim. "I'm not making you be my enemy, Ty Lee. You are." The young woman's face blanched. For once, she was speechless. "You have to make a choice. You're either on my side, or you're on Azula's. And I think you've already made that choice, Ty. The consequences are yours."

Ty Lee's eyes misted, and her lip quivered. There was a long silence. Finally, without saying a word, she turned and left the cell. The door closed, and all was dark.

With a sigh, Mai rested her head on her knees. _Oh, gods, I want out of here. Zuko, you dumb ass, where are you? _She could feel the prickling heat of anger. _I swear, when I get out of here I'm going to punch you in the nose!_ Her breathing deepened. She regulated it, counting her breaths carefully, trying to meditate again.

There was only the stillness.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

She was awakened by light. Blinking, she lifted her head from the metal slats as the door of her cage was unlocked. "Wake up, Mai," came the curt order. "It's time for a little more correspondence!" The voice was like a bucket of ice water dashed in Mai's face.

Azula looked at her down the bridge of her aristocratic nose. Mai glared at her openly, not bothering to disguise her hatred. "What do you want?" she growled.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't take up much of your precious time, Fire Lady Mai." The former princess smiled sweetly. "Your humble servants just need another letter from you to your husband." She held out the writing materials. Coldly, Mai took them. Her hands were steady as she laid the rice paper on her knee and dipped the calligraphy brush in the ink. "Ready to take dictation?" Azula asked, clasping her hands behind her back. Mai jerked her head in assent. "Good. _My dear Zuko…" _The prisoner wrote in silence. "_Azula, the Avatar of Agni, leader of the Earth Kingdom Freedom Fighters, has set the following conditions for my safe return."_

Mai stopped, glowering up at her. "I am _not_ calling you the Avatar of Agni," she said through her teeth. "That title is reserved for the Fire Lord!"

"Mm-hm." Azula smiled, showing her white teeth. "That's why you're going to use the phrase, my dear Mai. After all, we both know that I am far more worthy of the title than my worthless brother! And I intend to _prove_ that." She reached down and tapped the paper with a slender finger. "Now _write, _or I'll have to get unpleasant."

The Fire Lady's lips shrank down to a thin line. She considered resisting for a moment or two more, then sighed and resumed writing. "Good girl," Azula said coolly. She waited until Mai had finished the line. "_First – all Earth Kingdom troops must be removed from the Outer Ring of Ba Sing Se." _Mai smiled grimly as she wrote. "_Second –all Fire Nation troops must withdraw from occupied cities on Earth Kingdom soil." _

"Azula, you're insane!" Mai snapped. "There is no way he'll ever agree to that! The cities he kept belong to the Fire Nation."

"He will, if he ever wants to see you again." Azula's eyes glittered. "Write!"Tight-lipped, Mai obeyed. "_Azula will inform you of the rest of their demands once these two conditions have been met. You have forty-eight hours to comply. If these demands are not met, you will receive a packet containing the fingers of my left hand._" Mai's writing faltered, just a bit, before resuming its normal flow. "Excellent. Now, if you would be so kind as to sign it, we'll be through."

The captive signed. Then, with great coolness, she capped the ink bottle and gave the implements back to Azula. Smirking, the former Fire Princess rolled the paper into a scroll and slipped it into her pocket. "A pleasure doing business with you." Azula's voice was full of mockery. The cage door slammed, and the ex-princess headed from the cell. She paused in the doorway, turned back to Mai, and dropped a graceful bow. "May you live long and burn brightly," she said sweetly. Mai ground her teeth. The cell door closed.


	22. The Letter

Katara was up again, much to Toph's displeasure. The earthbender had tried to make her stay in bed for another day, but Katara had waved her off – she was fine, she insisted. She had healed herself with her waterbending. Between that and a good night's sleep, the only lingering effect of her injury was a headache, and the occasional dizzy spell when she turned her head too quickly. At the moment, she was sitting at her breakfast table, eating moon peaches and heavy bread.

Across from her sat Toph. The general had leaned her chair back against the wall, and was sitting with her arms folded across her chest, her long body outstretched. There was a definite scowl on her face, Katara noted idly, her eyes moving from the knitted black brows to the slightly-pouting lips.

"I don't like it," Toph said at last, having maintained a moody silence throughout Katara's meal. "You took one hell of a shot, Katara! You should take it easy."

"You wouldn't," the waterbender pointed out, taking a sip of tea. "The empress of the Fire Nation is missing, and you expect me to stay in bed because of a little headache? Really, Toph."

Grudgingly, the black-haired woman nodded. "Fine," she muttered. "You bloody stubborn little Water Tribe floozy…" Katara smiled faintly. Toph sighed. Her chair legs thumped back to the floor as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. Her tousled black hair threaded through her fingers as she buried her head in her hands. "The whole thing was a setup," she said. "A setup! The Dai Li bloody _set us up!" _A fist pounded on the table, narrowly avoiding the teapot.

Katara quickly rescued her cup of tea. "I guess we can't trust anything that Chenglai and his people tell us," she said slowly. Then, "Do you think they're actively supporting the rebels, Toph?"

"Probably. They sure as hell haven't done much to help _us_ lately." Toph's clouded eyes flashed with anger. "Three of my soldiers were lost, Katara. Three of _my soldiers! _They were practically murdered. And I can't do a damned thing about it!"

There was a soft knock. Katara looked up to see a servant bowing in the doorway. "General Bei Fong," he said softly. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but something was left for you at the back door." He held up a leather packet. Katara felt her mouth go dry. Impatiently, Toph took it. The minute her fingers touched it, she went very still. There was a pause; then she thrust it wordlessly at Katara, dismissing the boy with a wave.

Slowly, Katara opened the leather bag. It contained one gold bracelet – like the ones in the last packet – and a scroll of paper. She pulled out the scroll and unrolled it, spreading it flat on the table between her hands. "There's another note," she said softly. "It says –" She stopped abruptly, frozen, her eyes widening.

"What?" Toph said impatiently, after waiting a minute or two. "What does it say? C'mon, Sweetness, don't keep me in the dark."

It took Katara a moment or two to find her voice. "It's…Azula," she whispered. "Azula's behind it, Toph." There was silence. Katara swallowed once or twice. "She's demanding that troops be pulled out of the Outer Circle of the city. She's also demanding that Fire Nation troops leave all occupied cities in the Earth Kingdom."

"She's gone nuts!" the earthbender exploded. Her face was almost purple with rage. "I'll kill her. I'll kill her _myself!"_

Katara pushed away from the table, her tea forgotten. "Come on, general. Let's get this up to the palace and figure out what to do next."


	23. Uninvited Guest

Katara stopped outside the door to the Fire Lord's quarters, once more trying to screw up her courage to enter. The news she had would _not_ be welcomed, no matter which side of this situation Zuko was on.

She pursed her lips grimly. _Azula and Ty Lee, involved in a conspiracy that somehow involves Mai, and threatens to start a new war between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. So one of two things has to be true. Either Zuko is in on whatever is going on, in which case I'm going to have to beat him into next week, or Azula's trying to undermine Zuko's rule and the stability of the Earth Kingdom for her own reasons. _She took a deep breath. Her errand, once more, was not a happy one. _Well, I managed to get out of this the last time without being scorched. Maybe I can manage it again. _She knocked.

When she entered, Zuko was seated at his desk, reading something. There were stacks of paper at his elbows, and a small pile of books rested by his feet. He turned to look at her. There were dark circles under his eyes; he looked as if he hadn't slept in a while. His brows raised slightly. "You have news."

"Yes." She eyed him cautiously as she carefully shut the door behind her. "We've had another note from the insurgents," she said softly. Her hand shook slightly as she held it out to him. Expressionless, he took it from her and looked at it. Katara watched his face as he read it. She saw his eyes blaze once; other than that, he didn't seem to react much.

When Zuko looked up, he was every inch the Fire Lord. "What is being done about this?" he demanded.

The waterbender bowed. "If you will follow me, Fire Lord Zuko," she said quietly, "the Earth King would discuss the matter with you." Zuko nodded curtly, his lip curling. Katara could see the lightning beginning to flash from his amber eyes. She shivered a little, imperceptibly. She had a feeling that this meeting was not going to go well.

Toph was waiting outside the doors of the throne room. She and Zuko exchanged glares as he moved inside. As Katara began to follow, the earthbender's hand closed on her arm. "Wait." The waterbender stopped. "Katara, I need you to go back undercover," Toph said, her voice low. "We've got to figure out where Mai is, and we can't trust anything that Chenglai's followers tell us. I need you to hit the Outer Circle again. I've already sent out everyone I trust, except for you."

The Water Tribe woman paused. "Do you mean now? What about the meeting?"

Rolling her eyes, the general shook her head. "It'll just be a few hours of Sparky and me yelling at each other, Sugar Queen. Nothing to write home about. No point in wasting your time on it." She flashed Katara a halfhearted grin. "Just be careful out there, all right? Don't…well, don't blow anything up, or anything."

Katara smiled. Then, darting a quick glance over her shoulder, she stood up on her toes and placed a kiss on Toph's lips. "I'll be careful," she promised. She grinned at Toph's stunned look, "That's for sulking at breakfast."

"Damn." The earthbender's cheeks turned pink. "I'll have to sulk more often!" Laughing, Katara headed for the barracks to change.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The waterbender sighed deeply, idly toying with her mug with one hand, her other hand tapping aimless rhythms on the tabletop. Her brows lowered in an impatient scowl.

Once again, she was sitting in a random pub in the poor section of Ba Sing Se. And once again, she was sipping mango juice while listening to completely useless conversations! She bit her lips in irritation as the couple behind her began to talk about their children. _The Fire Lady only has another forty hours until she loses half her fingers, and I'm sitting here listening to someone try to toilet-train their three-year-old!_

Suddenly, someone slid into the seat across from her! Katara sat up abruptly, her hand tightening involuntarily on her mug. A face peered at her from the depths of a green hood; Katara's mouth fell open. "Shh!" her visitor whispered. "Not a word."

It was Ty Lee.

_What am I going to do? _The waterbender let her hand fall, slowly easing the cork from her water skin. She knew it was probably a useless gesture; if Ty Lee really wanted to, she could easily spring across the table and knock her unconscious before she could so much as splash her. Her face was hard as she glared at the acrobat. "What do you want?" she muttered.

"I don't have much time." Ty Lee glanced around, and her huge gray eyes seemed honestly frightened. "I know who you're looking for."

"I'm sure you do," Katara said acidly.

"_Shut up. _I told you, I don't have the time!" The acrobat scowled, and Katara was taken aback. Ty Lee was usually smiling and innocent. _Has she changed, too? _"I know where she is. I can't tell you right now, but I will."

The Water Tribe woman felt her eyes widen. "When?" she whispered.

"Tonight. – Well, closer to the morning, really." The acrobat pulled her hood farther about her face, and Katara saw that her hands were shaking. "I have to…set some things up, first. So I can fix things. But I'll tell you where Mai is. Be ready."

She began to get up again. Katara reached across the table and caught the acrobat's wrist in her hand. "Where?" she demanded.

"I'll find you," Ty Lee murmured. Her eyes were grave. "_Tell no one."_ She touched her finger to Katara's wrist; the waterbender felt her hand go numb, and winced. A moment later, the acrobat had vanished from her sight.


	24. Double Cross

On the threshold of Toph's front door, Katara paused, smiling shyly back at her hostess. They had eaten their supper together, exchanging stories of their day. Toph had spent much of it in the meeting, torn between yelling at the Fire Lord and Chenglai. Zuko had gone far enough as to personally blame Toph for his wife's disappearance and accuse her of being in league with whatever forces were arrayed against them. This had resulted in the earthbender putting her fist through the tabletop in rage. It sounded as if the whole thing had gotten really ugly. "We coulda used a diplomat," Toph had admitted, smiling ruefully.

When the earthbender had asked after Katara's day, the waterbender had almost choked on her mouthful of rice. She'd told her a few things she had overheard, and claimed to have found nothing of importance. The earthbender had looked at her oddly. Katara knew that Toph could sense that she was lying, but the general hadn't pressed the issue, and the conversation had gone on to other things.

Toph's hand closed around Katara's elbow, and she pulled her closer, wrapping her arms around the other woman's waist. Katara rested her hands on the earthbender's shoulders and leaned into her, snuggling her head underneath Toph's chin. She could feel Toph's breath wafting through her hair. "Have a good night, Sweetness," the earthbender said huskily. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Mm." The Water Tribe woman lifted her head and kissed Toph's throat. "Thanks for dinner," she said. The earthbender's hands moved from her waist to weave themselves into Katara's dark hair, and they kissed.

"Good night, Katara," Toph murmured. They lingered for a moment. Finally, the waterbender pulled away. With the warmth of the kiss still lingering on her mouth, she headed around the side of the estate toward the guesthouse.

The Water Tribe woman rested her fingertips on her lips, a smile playing about the corners of her mouth. She could still feel Toph's arms around her waist. She wished they could have lingered a bit more. _Once all this is over, _she told herself, _we'll have more time together. _She sighed.

As she passed into the darkness at the side of the manor house, a dark figure stepped out ahead of her! Katara sprang backward, jerking the cork from her water skin. The figure raised its hands. "Don't attack! It's me," came a soft voice. The waterbender peered suspiciously into the darkness. The figure pulled down a hood; the moonlight picked out the large eyes and rounded cheeks of Ty Lee.

Katara, however, did not change her stance. With a flick of her wrist, she drew the water from her side, spinning it about her. "What do you want?" she growled.

"I _told _you I was coming," the acrobat said, sounding rather injured.

"So talk." Katara's voice was cold.

With a sigh, the acrobat fumbled about and drew a folded piece of paper from somewhere in her jerkin. "Here," she said, holding it out. "This will tell you where Mai is. If you sweep in with about twenty soldiers, you should be able to take it without much trouble." Suspiciously, Katara slowly let the water flow back into the skin. She reached out and took the paper from Ty Lee's fingers. "Please hurry," the acrobat said softly. "I don't want Mai to get hurt, and there isn't much time left."

The waterbender raised her brows. "First you take her prisoner, and now you're worried she'll get hurt?"

"I don't expect you to understand," Ty Lee said coldly, pulling her hood back up about her face. "Just go do your little hero thing, all right? I have to go, before –"

Ty Lee never got a chance to finish her sentence. The ground around the two women suddenly erupted! Katara uttered a shriek of surprise and fear as she felt stone clap about her wrists, trapping her arms behind her back. She heard Ty Lee cry out as well. Strong hands fell on her, forcing her to her knees! Gasping, she looked up, as best she could for the fingers that squeezed painfully on the back of her neck.

They were surrounded by people in green robes and peaked hats. Katara's outraged eyes picked out one of them, and widened. "_Chenglai! _What's going on? Let go of me!"

He smirked, his dark eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Ambassador. You've been caught red-handed, you see! Meeting with known members of the insurgency in the dead of night? Tsk." His smile grew. "I'm afraid that conspiring against the throne of the Earth Kingdom is a very serious charge, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

"_What?" _The waterbender fought savagely. "You can't _do _this!"

"Just what in the _hell _is going on, here?" Toph's sharp voice cut into Katara's. The general strode into view, both fists clenched; lightning was darting from her light green eyes. "Chenglai, you damn well better have a good explanation for this! What are you doing on my property, arresting my…friend?"

The Dai Li leader didn't seem phased. "I'm afraid we have to detain Ambassador Katara on suspicion of conspiring with the enemy, General Bei Fong," he said coolly. "We came upon her talking with a member of the insurgency." He pointed at the acrobat, who was pinned to the ground, her arms and legs encased in stone.

Toph scraped a foot against the ground. Katara felt a pang as the blind woman's face blanched. "Ty…Ty Lee?" she whispered. There was sudden confusion in her face, and pain. "Ka…Katara, you…"

"It's not _true, _Toph!" the waterbender pleaded. "I wasn't conspiring with _anyone! _Ty Lee just came to tell me - _mmph!" _A hand clapped around her face, forcing her mouth closed.

"We will find out what she came to tell you soon enough, Water Tribe scum," Chenglai said coldly. "You'll tell us everything, whether you want to or not!" He gestured to his followers. "Take them."

"_No!" _Toph took a step forward, her arms lifting to earthbend.

"General." Chenglai raised a hand. "Don't interfere. We wouldn't want _your_ loyalties called into question, now would we?" His eyes narrowed as he looked into Toph's scowling face. "The Fire Lord has already accused you of such, has he not? And you should be careful. Especially since you have a…_special connection _to this particular prisoner."

Toph's hands fell nervelessly at her sides. Her face was pale with shock and fury. "You bastard," she hissed. "You fucking _bastard!"_ He merely smiled with his thin lips and waved his hand to the Dai Li. Katara was dragged bodily away, helpless to fight. She heard Toph cry her name, a roar of despair and rage, just before the earth opened up. It closed over their heads, and Katara was plunged into pitch darkness.

They were still moving – the earth was rumbling around them – but Katara couldn't tell which way they were going, or how quickly they moved. The hands on her arms squeezed painfully, and the hand over her mouth made it hard to breathe. Her head was spinning. _How could this be happening? Ty Lee must have been followed. Or did she set me up? _She wrenched against her captors, and their grips tightened; she winced, and lay still. _Oh, spirits, help me!_

Then there was light. Katara blinked as she was hauled bodily into a torchlit hallway. She was dragged up to a square-shaped door. It was unlocked and jerked open. The prisoner was flung inside! She cracked her head against something hard, and grunted in pain; the door swung closed, blocking out the light again. She lay gasping softly, trying to get her bearings.

Something shuffled nearby, and Katara heard the rattle of chains. "Hello? Who's there?" Her heart leaped. _She knew that voice!_

It was Mai.


	25. Underground

_Mai. _Katara sat up as best she could. "Fire Lady Mai?" she said softly. "Are…are you all right?"

"Oh, I'm swell," came the dry response. "In the pink. Really. Who are you?"

"It's…Katara. You know. The –"

"The Water Tribe peasant-cum-politician. I recall."

Katara heard more shifting, and more rattling of chains. "Are you…are you injured at all, Fire Lady Mai?"

A low, mirthless chuckle came from the darkness. "Nope. Not yet, anyway. Although I hear Azula's going to remedy _that _soon enough. She's going to relieve me of a few body parts, or so the rumor goes." Metal rasped. "So how'd you wind up down here?"

"The Dai Li took me," Katara said. "They…well, Ty Lee was trying to tell me where you were, and I guess they must have followed her."

"Ty Lee?" The flat tone of the woman's voice changed slightly. "Ty Lee was…where is she?"

"I don't know," the waterbender admitted. "The Dai Li took us both. They just threw me in here. I have no idea what they did with her. I don't even know if she set me up or not." She heard something that sounded like a whispered curse. "It'll be all right, I'm sure of it. Toph knows the Dai Li has us. She'll find us and bring in the army –"

"Don't be a fool." Mai's voice was harsh. "Azula's already pretty much running this city by now. She's taken the Dai Li already, and she's got connections everywhere. Ty Lee told me." She laughed bitterly. "Azula will be sitting on the throne of the Earth Kingdom again within three days."

Katara's mouth went dry. She turned this over in her head for a minute or two. Then, at length, "I guess I owe you an apology, Fire Lady Mai."

"Oh?" The reply was flat and sarcastic.

"Yes. When I first saw Ty Lee, I assumed you were working with her. But now I see you're really a prisoner, so I guess I should apologize for doubting you." Katara's lips twisted into a rueful smile. "I'll owe Zuko one, too."

"_Zuko." _Mai spat. "If I ever see him again, he'll wish I hadn't!" Katara heard the rattling of chains again as Mai moved. "Fool that he is," she muttered. "Leaving me here like this…"

The waterbender's brow furrowed. "Are you bound?"

"Chained, actually. And locked in a cage the size of a shoebox. But why would I complain?" Mai stopped and sighed. "Gods, I wish this was over." There was a different note in her voice this time – a note of fear. Katara felt a rush of pity. _That's right. It's only another fifteen or sixteen hours before Azula cuts off her fingers. _She shuddered at the thought.

There was a long pause. Then came a wry chuckle. "Never thought I'd end up in this situation," Mai said. "I figured Azula was done. Don't know why I was so stupid as to think I could get away that easily."

Katara squirmed, wriggling her arms in their stone restraints. They held firm. She stopped struggling and rested her head against the wall. "So you've been here all this time?"

"No. I was somewhere else before. They moved me. Ty Lee said their friends had told them Zuko was looking for me." Mai paused. "They…said they were going to leave the soldiers a surprise."

"They did," Katara said grimly. "Bombs. We lost three men."

"Ah." Mai stopped for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." The Water Tribe woman shrugged her shoulders. Silence fell, and the hours scraped slowly by.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Toph was running, her bare feet striking at the pavement beneath her. Behind her, she could hear Zuko's swift steps as he followed.

The instant the Dai Li had been swallowed up by the earth, Toph had latched on to Katara's vibrations and followed her. She had run half the length of the city, following them, until finally coming to a halt outside a seedy pub in the Outer Ring of Ba Sing Se. She had noted the name of it – The Dancing Bear – and had then turned on her heel and raced back toward the palace.

She had known she was risking having the Dai Li find her, but she had to get backup. She wasn't stupid enough to think she could take on Azula by herself, world's greatest earthbender or not! When she had reached the palace, she had gone straight to Zuko's quarters. He'd been skeptical at first, but once he'd heard the story, the Fire Lord had thrown on his armor and followed her. Toph had considered finding Guiren and bringing him along, too, but she was desperate to get back before the insurgents had time to move their prisoners yet again. Who knew where the Dai Li were, either?

They had finally reached the place. Toph stopped, trying to catch her breath. Zuko stumbled to a halt beside her, looking around. "Where is my wife?" he demanded, his brows lowering in a scowl.

"Shhh!" Toph put her fingers to her lips, jerking him into the shadows beside the pub. "Quiet, you idiot! People are probably looking for us." She stooped down and dug her fingers into the earth, listening intently. "Yep…I can feel at least six down there, Zuko. I don't know if they're Dai Li, or just insurgents." She inhaled deeply. "I don't know if we're going to find Mai down there or not."

"This is insane. I hope you realize that!" Zuko was drawing his broadswords as he spoke.

"Yep. Pretty much." Toph rose to her feet again, and looked at him. "Are you backing out at the last moment, Sparky?"

"Not a chance." He smiled grimly. "Even if this isn't where they're holding Mai, I'll take a little justice out of their hides!"

Toph grinned, feeling her pulse quicken as the adrenaline hit again. She planted her feet. "You ready?" she asked, feeling the vibrations with her toes, choosing her angle. He nodded. "All right, then. Hang on, Katara, we're coming!" She brought her arms up; the earth beneath them opened, and they dropped!

They found themselves standing in a stone hallway – a mere tunnel cut into the rock. There were square-shaped doors along one side of it. "This way!" Toph said, darting up the hall toward the place she had felt Katara's presence. Zuko followed.

As Toph reached the door she was heading for, they heard shouts, and several men appeared at the ends of the hall! The earthbender sent waves of rock at them. Two of them went down. The remaining insurgent dodged, then sent a blast of flame hurtling down the hall at her! Toph began to raise up a shield of stone, but Zuko stepped in front of her, slashing his swords; fire blazed from the blades, and the fireball dissipated. The earthbender quickly took out their remaining attacker.

The moment they were alone again, Toph turned to the door. It was metal; the earthbender laid her palms against it, grinned, and dug in her fingers. The steel crumpled like paper. With a growl, Toph ripped it off its hinges and tossed it aside.


	26. Showdown

Katara thought she must have dozed off, her head propped against the metal bars of Mai's cage. A rumbling in the floor made her jerk awake; she heard shouts, and then something like an explosion. "What the -?" Then there was a rending of metal, and light flooded the little cell! She squinted upward, hearing her name. "Toph?"

Strong arms flung themselves around her. "Katara!" The earthbender laid a hand gently against her face, feeling her expression. "Are you hurt?" Katara heard what sounded like Zuko's voice in the background.

"N-no. No, I'm fine." The waterbender felt a little dazed as the stone restraints fell from her arms. She rubbed her wrists. Her pride was rather hurt at having to be rescued, but she was _so _glad to see the general again! "Thanks," she said softly. She felt Toph's fingers threading through her hair, holding her head gently.

"Hey, metalbender. A little help, here?" Zuko had been examining the lock on Mai's cage, and now turned to Toph. The general shook herself and quickly moved over to where he stood. She broke open the door of the cage, then snapped the cuffs off Mai's limbs with her bare hands.

Zuko took his wife's arm as she began to get up. Shakily, the Fire Lady emerged from her prison, slowly straightening her back. Then, wordlessly, she turned to Zuko and slapped him smartly across the face! Astonished, he stared at her in silence. There was a pause; then, abruptly, she collapsed against him, her head burrowing into his shoulder, her arms clutching at his sides.

Once he recovered from his bewilderment, he slowly put his arms around her. "It's all right, Mai," he said softly, holding her. "It's all right. I'm here."

The waterbender felt Toph shove something under her hands. "Here, Sweetness," she said. "Figured this might come in handy, so I brought it along." Katara's fingers closed over her water skin. The feel of it put the fire back in her eyes. She rose quickly to her feet, slinging the skin over her shoulder, feeling its comforting weight on her hip. "Hey, Sparky! Break up the mushy stuff and give Sunshine her pointy objects, huh? We need to get out of here!"

Startled by Toph's words, Zuko looked up from his stroking of Mai's hair. "Oh! Right." He took a belt from his waist and put it in the Fire Lady's hands. Mai's face grew hard as she touched it. Without a word, she swiftly buckled it around her own waist, and accepted the daggers he pressed into her palms.

"All right, let's go," Katara said. "Bend us out of here, Toph!"

"Wait." The earthbender turned her head as if listening, digging her toes into the floor of the cell; one callused hand stretched out to plant itself on the stone wall. The other three fell silent, watching her. At length, Toph's hand came down. "Ty Lee's not far from here," Toph said. "There's a lot of people between us and her, so we'd have to fight our way through. Do we want to bother with her?"

There was a pause. Katara set her teeth. _If Ty Lee set me up, then I want a piece of her. If she didn't, she needs our help. _"We should find her," she said. "If nothing else, she'll know where Azula is." She watched Zuko's jaw harden at the mention of his sister's name. The decision was made; the four slipped from the cell, following after Toph.

A large steel door at the end of the hall stopped them. Toph paused, turning back at the others. "Are we all ready?" she asked in a low voice. Katara grimly opened her water skin. Beside her, Mai brandished her daggers, her face a cold mask. The earthbender smiled, her blind eyes glowing with fierce joy. Katara shivered a little at the sight. _That smile usually came just before some serious pain. _"Then let's _do_ this thing." Turning, Toph grabbed the door in both hands, ripping it in two! They rushed into the next room, their weapons ready.

Whatever Katara had expected, this was _not _it.

The four found themselves in a gigantic underground room. There were sconces all along the wall; some held lit torches. At the back of the room facing them was a large stone seat, something like a throne, with three steps leading up to it. A woman sat on this throne, her legs crossed regally at the knees. _That could only be Azula, _the waterbender thought.Another girl was kneeling quietly at her feet, her hands folded in her lap, her head bowed. She slowly looked up – Katara recognized Ty Lee with a rush of anger.

Azula laughed. The sound echoed off the walls, making Katara flinch. "Oh, look at that!" she crooned. "Zuzu's come to rescue you, Mai. Isn't that just precious?" Without a word, Mai stepped forward and let one of her knives fly. Azula ducked; the blade clattered against the stone back of her throne, inches from her throat. "Tsk," the former princess said, shaking her head. "Temper, temper, Mai!" Her smile widened.

"You're finished, Azula," Zuko said coldly, brandishing his swords. "Give it up!"

"I don't think so." She waved her arm at the perimeter of the room. "We're not alone here, Zuzu, in case you hadn't noticed." From the seemingly empty wall sconces stepped green-robed figures, their chests emblazoned with the symbol of the Dai Li. Katara's eyes widened; she counted at least twenty of them. She heard Toph curse. Azula's eyes narrowed. "Take them!"

There was silence. None of the Dai Li moved.

Toph smirked. "The Dai Li rule the Dai Li, Azula," she said. "They're waiting to see who's stronger before they make their move! You might actually have to break a nail."

The former Fire Princess rose to her feet, scowling. "Fine!" she said through her teeth. "I don't need a bunch of earthbenders to take _you_ out." She dealt the kneeling woman at her feet a vicious kick. Ty Lee cringed and got up, facing the intruders. Katara could see the tracks of tears on the acrobat's face. "Come on, Ty Lee. Attack!" The young woman hesitated for a moment, then leaped forward in a perfect handspring. An instant later, Azula stepped toward them and fired a stream of blue flame straight at Zuko's chest!

The next few minutes were chaos. Katara found herself pitted with Toph against the agile Ty Lee, while Zuko and Mai took on the enraged ex-princess. It was impossible to land a blow against the acrobat – she seemed to be everywhere at once, darting and retreating. It was all Katara could do to keep from getting hit! Toph, too, seemed to be having difficulty – probably because the acrobat very rarely touched the ground.

Around the time that Katara missed Ty Lee with an ice whip – for the fifth time – she heard Azula scream, and then Mai's triumphant laughter. The waterbender turned her head, and saw the former princess down on one knee, a dagger thrust into her belly, just below the plate of her armor. As Katara watched in amazement, Zuko lunged with his broadswords! Instead of landing a killing blow, he swung the blades at her like clubs. The flat of one of them cracked across the side of Azula's skull; she crumpled to the ground in a pool of blood.

"'Zula! _No!" _Ty Lee's shriek echoed off the walls. With a cry of grief and rage, the acrobat sprang at Zuko! Katara's blood ran cold as she watched. _He wouldn't have time to defend himself – his attention was diverted! _She started to bend at the acrobat's form, knowing that she was already too late.

A flash of silver whipped through the air! Ty Lee uttered a shriek of pain, the grace of her attack thrown off as she clutched at the throwing knife embedded in her shoulder. An instant later, Katara saw Toph's hands thrust forward, and a huge boulder smashed into the acrobat's back! There was a sickening crunch. Ty Lee fell beside the sprawled form of her princess in a broken heap.

The silence that followed was deep. The four intruders stood as if they were frozen in place. Katara was panting, trying to process what she had just seen. Her eyes were fixed on the motionless form of Azula. _Is she dead? Did Zuko and Mai kill her? _It didn't seem possible that the young woman could be lying there! Katara inhaled deeply. Then her eye fell on Ty Lee's broken body. Her healer's instincts kicked in, and she rushed forward.

The acrobat lay on her belly, her head twisted to one side and her arms at an awkward angle to her body. Her face was the color of ashes. Hands shaking, Katara covered her hands with water and laid them on the acrobat's body. She could feel the girl breathing, and her heart rate seemed steady, if it was weak. There was some internal bleeding; Katara healed it quickly, moving her hands over the site of the injury. Her face grew sober as her fingers brushed along Ty Lee's spine. At least three vertebrae had been shattered beyond repair.

"How…is she?" Katara looked up to find Mai standing over her. The black-haired woman looked much the worse for the wear – her clothes were ragged and filthy from her long imprisonment, and her pale skin was smudged with earth and rust. She was looking down at Ty Lee, her face twisted in some undefined emotion. "Is…is she..?"

"She's alive," Katara said quietly. "Her back is broken."

"Oh." The emotionless mask dropped back over Mai's face. She was silent for a while. "It would be kindest to kill her," the Fire Lady said at length. "She'll probably be executed if she lives long enough to be taken back to the Fire Nation, anyway."

Katara pressed her lips together. She could hear Toph's cold voice; looking up, she saw the earthbender and the Fire Lord talking to one of the Dai Li. The waterbender's eyes didn't really register what she was seeing. She looked up at Mai again. "I'm not killing her," she said flatly. "Are you prepared to slit her throat?"

"No." Mai laughed mirthlessly. "I've gotten much less bloodthirsty in the last few years, it seems." She looked down at the unconscious acrobat. "We were friends, once," she said quietly. Katara thought she heard a note of regret in the toneless voice.

"I'm sorry," Katara said softly, with genuine pity.

"Don't be." Mai turned away. "She made her choices, and I made mine." With that, she headed to where Zuko stood, leaving Katara with the motionless Ty Lee. In silence, the Water Tribe woman poured more water into her hands and continued her work. _Whether Ty Lee's going to the guillotine or not is out of my hands, but I can't just let her die here. _Her jaw tightened as she worked on the splintered bones of the girl's spine. _Spirits…she's going to be in a lot of pain when she wakes up. I almost feel sorry for her…_

A hand rested on her shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts. Toph crouched down beside her. "Hey," she said quietly. "She's still alive, I take it."

"Yeah. But she won't be walking again."

Katara withdrew her hands; she had done all she could for the time being. She suddenly felt very tired. Her body wavered; Toph's strong arm encircled her waist, holding her steady. "Easy there, Sweetness," she said. Her voice was unusually gentle.

"I'm fine." The waterbender slowly moved over to Azula. With distaste, she poured her remaining water into her hands and bent it slowly into the body of the former princess. She healed the dagger wound in Azula's abdomen, but didn't touch the two-inch cut on the young woman's temple.

Wordlessly, Toph knelt down beside her. With her bare hands, she tore Azula's plate armor into strips, and then used them to bind the firebender's arms and legs. Katara watched as the earthbender encased Azula's arms in steel up to her elbows. "There. I'll feel just a bit safer now." Katara nodded, closing her eyes. She felt Toph's hand rest on her arm. "You've had a long day, Sweetness. Let's get the Fire Lord and Lady back to safety, and put you to bed."

"Okay," Katara murmured. "What about Azula and Ty Lee?"

"We'll have the Dai Li move them." Toph's clouded eyes grew stormy for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she rose to her feet, drawing Katara up with her. "Come on, Sugar Queen. We've got royalty to escort."

**Changed to allow Azula to live so there can be a decent villain in book three.**


	27. Tryst

The carriage rumbled to a halt outside Toph's manor. Katara stepped out of it, stumbling a little in exhaustion as her feet hit the street. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

She had spent the day at the palace. The Earth King had set aside one of the smaller guest rooms as a prison for the injured Ty Lee; Katara had been with the acrobat since early morning, nursing her. Ty Lee was doing much better, but the long hours had taken their toll on the waterbender. Wearily, Katara opened her eyes again and looked up at the stars. _I absolutely cannot wait until I hit that pillow!_ She began to shuffle toward the guesthouse, her eyes already half-closed.

As she reached for the door handle, someone stepped out of the darkness to her right. "Hey, Sugar Queen," came Toph's soft voice. "I've been waiting for you. Late night?"

Katara was too tired to even be startled. "Yeah." She turned her blue eyes on Toph and smiled weakly. "Long day."

"You've been spending a lot of time in that room since those Fire Nation folks took Azula and headed home. The cartwheeling whacko doing any better?" the general wanted to know.

"Yes. She's in much less pain, now." Katara nodded her head. "She's still in no shape to be transferred back to the Fire Nation, but she's resting more comfortably now."

"Good." Toph moved forward. She wasn't wearing her armor; her green tunic was sleeveless, baring her sculpted arms. Katara leaned into her as she took her in her arms, resting her head against Toph's shoulder and closing her eyes. She breathed in the woman's scent of damp earth and cut grass, and sighed contentedly. Her hands stole upward to rest on Toph's hips. She heard the earthbender chuckle. "I missed you, Sweetness." Her breath moved through Katara's hair.

"Yeah," the waterbender murmured. "I didn't see you once today." She touched her lips to the side of Toph's neck.

"I've been busy, and so were you." Toph inhaled sharply through her nose as Katara's lips found her earlobe. "Listen – now that you're a little old national hero, I figure our reputations won't suffer too much if we let people know we're together. What do you think?"

The waterbender stopped nibbling on Toph's ear to laugh a little. "I think you're right," she teased. "Are you proposing to me?"

"No! – Well, not yet, anyway." The earthbender drew one hand slowly down Katara's back and rested it in the small of her back. "I was thinking that you're probably pretty tired, Sweetness." She nuzzled her face into the side of Katara's neck, brushing her lips up until they hovered just beside her ear. "But I bet you don't want another lonely night."

A delicious shiver ran from the top of Katara's head all the way down to her toes. Her grip on Toph's waist tightened a bit. She felt her own lips curving into a wide smile; her eyes were tearing up, for some reason. "Oh, I don't know," she murmured. "Are you suggesting something improper, General Bei Fong?"

"Very improper." Toph chuckled, her voice low; her knuckles grazed the side of Katara's face, brushing gently over the smooth skin of her cheek. "Very improper, indeed!"

"Good." Katara giggled, then captured the earthbender's lips with her own. She felt Toph's tongue tickle her bottom lip, and laughed again. "You realize Sokka's probably going to try to kill you, right?"

"Bring it on, sweetcakes," the general said huskily. "I'll take my chances!" Still smiling, Katara pushed away. She grasped Toph's hand in hers and stepped inside the house, drawing the earthbender after her and shutting the door behind them.

**Changed to allow Azula to live, so book 3 has a decent villain :P**


End file.
